Free Fernandes
by Eva Inevitable
Summary: Set after the Grand Magic Games with Jellal now a member of Fairy Tail. How will he have an impact on guild life? From forming his own team and taking part in a unique S-Class trial alongside Laxus. Written throughout arcs with action, friendship, tears and laughter ahead...Jellal will just have to learn to adjust to the beautiful chaos that is Fairy Tail.
1. Ch1 A Fistful Of Parfum

✿ _**Author's Note...**_

**Before we get started I do not own Fairy Tail as amazing as that would be. Thanks for taking the time to read my story, it is greatly appreciated. I have a lot planned for the ride, so I hope you enjoy. Characters will stay in character to the best of my ability. A Fistful of Parfum is a light-hearted introduction but the action kicks in in all due time, but let's start off sweet and cheesy and get darker later on...**

**ღ Happy reading ღ **

**-Eva**

* * *

A Fistful Of Parfum

Mirajane was standing behind the long stretch of mahogany bar, looking around at the guild hall bursting with the usual jovial energy. Erza was sitting at the bar tucking away into a delectable cream cake, and without flinching, moved her head to the side as a chair went flying through the air and smashed against the spot next to her.

"Was that meant to hit me flame brain!" baited Gray.

"No! I'm just all fired up!" roared Natsu charging towards him. With a wide grin, Gray braced for impact.

"Gray! Your clothes!" cried Lucy.

"Aaah! When did that happen?!" Gray shouted as Natsu barrelled into the ice mage and the two became a cloud of fists. Erza continued to eat her cake and Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Uh Erza? Aren't you going to…you know…break that up?" Lucy asked puzzled. Raising her head from her cake, Erza turned and seemed to come out of her daze.

_Her daze? _Thought Lucy in a flummox. _That is not like Erza._

In a heartbeat Erza's eyes turned fiery, and she plunged her hands into the death cloud, grabbing Natsu and Gray in each hand, before knocking their heads together. The S-class mage swiftly returned to her cake, as the fire and ice mages each melted to the ground. Jellal, who was standing over by the request board with his team: Gajeel and Juvia, laughed and Erza pretended not to be affected by the rarity of that heart warming sound.

"Oh my darling Gray!" exclaimed Juvia as she seemed to float over to the unconscious ice mage who was sprawled on top of a drooling Natsu. Laughing lightly Mirajane's gaze wondered over to Bisca and Alsack who were teaching Asuka how to work on her aim with a sling-shot. A radiant smile appeared on Mirajane's face. "You know sometimes I forget…I forget about those seven years. Everything is so normal I often expect to look over and see Bisca and Alsack blushing and acting bashful, if they so much as even accidentally brushed shoulders," said Mirajane. "Now they are married and have the lovely Asuka. At least two people in this guild finally expressed their feelings…and I missed the wedding!" Mirajane finished. Erza smiled at the demon mage and Lucy nodded in agreement.

"Oh Gray! How we would make such dedicated and loving parents! Juvia's heart skips a beat just thinking about it!" purred Juvia with her arms around Gray who at that point snapped awake and crawled backwards away from her. "Gray! You may have a concussion! Juvia thinks you should sit down and let Juvia take care of you!" she cried chasing after him.

"Now, Juvia would make an interesting mother," stated Cana before downing a barrel of alcohol.

"So would you Cana," sighed Lucy as Cana finished an entire barrel and made to grab another.

"I think Erza would make a terrifying mother," said Natsu without a filter as usual.

"She would be unbelievably strict," added Levy looking up from her book.

"She probably wouldn't let them have any fun," said Gray returning from his escapade. Erza turned around with a quirked eyebrow. "Yes, I do believe discipline would be in order but I-"

"They'd probably be so scared of her they would just stay silent forever!" claimed Natsu.

Something washed over Erza's features but as soon as it had appeared it was gone and only Lucy seemed to pick up on it.

"I bet Erza's kids would have such amazing fashion sense," chimed Lucy sensing that her guild mates were starting to go too far, but her comment was drowned out.

"If they ever showed her their artwork and it was terrible, I bet she'd set it on fire!" chuckled Happy. "Or threaten to strangle them!" added Natsu unnecessarily, and Lucy inwardly cringed.

"Juvia thinks she would not feed them right," Juvia stated. Erza gently put down her fork and pushed her cake away, her mouth a thin line. "Excuse me for a second," she announced but her guild mates were still hollering and coming up with scenarios completely oblivious to the Titania's abrupt departure.

"I think that's enough now guys," insisted Lucy.

"Oh gee, sorry Lucy. Didn't mean to leave you out. You can be pretty scary too," commented Natsu.

"That's not what I meant you idiot!" snapped Lucy as a vein popped in her forehead. Natsu shrugged and in the process somehow managed to whack Gajeel in the face.

"What the hell Dragneel!?" he growled and just like that, another brawl inevitably broke out. Taking it upon herself, Lucy turned to go check on Erza but Mirajane gently clutched her wrist. "I think she'll be okay," smiled Mirajane nodding over to a certain blue haired mage with his cape blowing behind him as he moved from the request board and left the hall through the back entrance. Lucy and Mirajane shared a private look.

* * *

The Fairy Tail guild hall garden was idyllic and quiet, as Erza walked along the winding path amongst all the beautiful flowers. She was overjoyed to have the old building back again after winning the Grand Magic Games, and the breathtaking new and improved garden was an added bonus. There was a slight breeze and it tugged at her scarlet hair. She reequipped into a minty sundress and sat down on the bench by the water fountain. She let herself get lost in her thoughts. She found herself doing that a lot lately, she soon realised, it was mainly because…she was happy. Fairy Tail had always been home so of course she had always been content, but now she was more than just happy…she was_ free. _When she had joined Fairy Tail after the Tower of Heaven she had locked her heart in a suit of armour and got on with her life. Now that Jellal was in Fairy Tail…her fragmented heart had mended because at last her family were all in the same place.

In retrospect, Erza realised how ridiculous she was being, letting those harmless comments of her guild mates get into her head.

_You let something Natsu said get to you? _She thought to herself in both annoyance and amusement. _I don't even understand myself anymore._

She looked up at the glorious blue sky and closed her eyes. Prior to contrary believe the great Erza Scarlet…did not dismiss the idea of having a child. One day she would love to have a child of her own to dress up and train and pass on her wisdom. Erza sighed.

_Who am I kidding? The guild is right. I would make a terrible mother._

She sensed someone in the vicinity and opened her eyes to see Jellal standing before her his blue hair and coat blowing faintly in the breeze.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. Erza nodded at the spot beside her, and he sat down next to her. They shared a comfortable silence for the next several moments, a drastic change to the raucous inside.

"For the record," said Jellal his voice as soft as the petals adorning the flowers. "I think you would make a wonderful mother." Erza turned to him with a look most unbecoming of the Titania as it lacked sophistication and confidence. "You think so?" Leaning forward, Jellal clasped his hands together on his knees and stared at the water spurting from Mavis' fountain. "I know so."

A light blush began to appear across Erza's face, and she hastily looked away, annoyed at herself for always losing her seemingly perpetual composure around Jellal and Jellal alone. A smile tugged at one side of his face as he continued. "You are so strong, you could help them through anything. You're unbelievably loyal and would never turn your back on them or let them down. You're intelligent and brave and could teach them so much. Your determination is inspiring and you never give up, no matter how insurmountable something may seem, no matter what odds are stacked against you. You care deeply about others and protect your guild with all your power. On top of all that, you're also witty and honest and I-" Jellal smiled saying all this while still staring at the fountain. He looked away finally locking eyes with her. "I love you."

Erza stared at Jellal for several heartbeats before she hugged him and a solitary tear slipped down Erza's cheek but she hastily wiped it away. "You don't think I would terrify a child into eternal silence do you?" Erza mumbled so faint Jellal almost didn't hear it.

"Of course not. And if there's anyone capable of doing that, it's Evergreen."

She leaned in and kissed him and Jellal pulled her closer. He gently pulled away to brush away another tear from her face. "No more crying remember? Heaven knows I've made you cry enough."

Erza smiled softly but then punched him in the arm for good measure. It always came back to him atoning for something. Always. Without fail. She would knock it out of him someday.

"You are also devastatingly beautiful, but that goes without saying and really has nothing to do with being a mother."

Erza laughed. "Okay that's enough compliments before I float away... Now come here," she said.

"Wait," he announced taking her by the shoulders causing a look of confusion to pass over her features.

"Do you not want to finish your cake first?" he inquired producing like a conjurer, her unfinished cake from earlier. Laughing with relief Erza reached out and took it from him.

She looked down at her cake before putting it to the side. "I'm not really in the mood," she admitted taking Jellal's hand in her own.

"Wow…You must really…wow. Over cake? Wow."

"Jellal?"

"Yes Erza?"

"Stop talking."

"Yes Titania."

* * *

When Erza and Jellal stepped back into the guildhall, surprisingly Natsu and Gray were not fighting but playing cards with Cana.

"Does anyone ever work in this guild," smiled Jellal shaking his head. "I actually need to go out an a job. Rent is coming up."

"You sound like Lucy."

"That'll be because now Lucy is living at Fairy Hills and I rent her old apartment we both know all about the malicious wrath of the landlady," intoned Jellal and Lucy overhearing nodded in mutual agreement. Squeezing Erza's hand he left to get back to examining the request board and began speaking with Nab Lasaro, who even after seven years, had not yet selected a quest.

"Maybe Jellal could get Nab on a job?" suggested Lucy.

"Yeah maybe he-" Erza was interrupted as an all too familiar chill swept over her and she slowly turned to see Ichiya standing beside Makarov pointing at her from across the guild. He winked.

Erza made a strangled noise. "What is he doing here?" Ichiya twirled towards her with his usual extravagance, glitter seemingly coming from nowhere spurting from his auburn hair. "Men," he drawled.

"We were discussing possible events Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus could hold together," replied Makarov.

"I couldn't help but overhear the conversation from earlier my honey and I have to say you would make a fine mother," Ichiya said pointing at her.

_Oddly enough that is the least creepy thing he has ever said to be me _thought Erza bitterly.

"Well Ichiya-"

"Our children would have the most exquisite parfum and would be so good looking they would hurt anyone's eyes just by gazing upon them. When we raise our children together-"

Erza was just about to smash her fist into his face when there was a brilliant flash of light and Jellal stood looming over Ichiya his eyes blazing. Jellal punched him square in the face, sending him soaring through the air.

"Men!" he sang as he crashed through the guild doors. The guild erupted into cheers and catcalls and Happy saw his chance. "Looks like Jellal is jelly!" he exclaimed causing the entire guild to groan at the exceed's cringe worthy word play. As his sudden anger subsided it dawned on Jellal what he had just done.

"I just punched a well respected wizard of another guild, who was in no way, prepared for an attack out of submission," he groaned. "Great something else I must atone for."

"Respected is a strong word…" muttered Lucy.

Much to the surprise of the rest of the guild, Erza hugged him, which also came as a shock to Jellal who understood that Erza wanted to keep things quiet between them.

"No more atoning. We agreed," Erza whispered, echoing Jellal's similar words from earlier. Jellal smiled and they shared a moment for all of about five seconds before Natsu leapt through the air. "Jellal! Fight me next!"

Jellal was engraved in Fairy Tail forever and it was only the beginning...

* * *

**Thanks for reading this opening chapter I hope you enjoyed :)**

***Fairy Tail Salute* **

**Next Time: "Team Redemption"**


	2. Ch2 Team Redemption part 1

Team Redemption part 1

The sun was setting, triggering a breathtaking salmon pink to spread across the horizon, a furnace flame at one point, as if Natsu himself had set fire to the sky (which no-one would put it past him to do.)

Jellal, Gajeel, Juvia and Patherlily were travelling across the velvet hills underneath the burning sky on their way to investigate a mine where a group of workers were trapped inside. It was believed that a minor dark guild were behind the pandemonium as they wanted the mine for themselves.

"We have been walking for hours in complete silence," stated Lily. "Is this just a squad of introverts or something?"

"Or something," replied Jellal with a wry smile.

"Now there's a thought. What about you hammering that Blue Pegasus guy? What's his face-Ichiya right? That's what I call marking your territory. Geehee," jested Gajeel with a wicked toothy grin. Jellal flushed the colour of his tattoo.

"Juvia thinks Jellal-sama is so romantic protecting his nakama!" swooned Juvia.

"Do as I say, not as I do. Is that your philosophy Jellal?" chided a teasing Pantherlily. "What happened to the whole Team Redemption speech?"

"Nothing says redemption like punching a perv in the face!" sniggered Gajeel giving Lily a high five who was flying next to him. Jellal inwardly groaned, slapping his palm to his forehead.

"I understand if you wish for Team Redemption to be disbanded as I have made a mockery of our creed," said a grim faced Jellal.

Gajeel and Lily turned to each other, mouths identical straight lines, before bursting into hysteric laughter.

"You crack me up Jelly," cried Gajeel clamping the heavenly body magic mage on the back.

"I am ashamed," grumbled Jellal.

"The two of you make a terrible pair," said Juvia pointing firstly at Gajeel then Lily.

"Juvia also thinks Gajeel-kun is-"

Gajeel shushed her. "Calm it woman."

A vein popped in Juvia's head as she raised an arm shooting a torrent of water into the iron dragon slayer's face.

"Argh! Not this again! Cut it out! You'll rust me!"

"Look up ahead," announced Jellal secretly pleased that the attention had shifted from him.

Juvia stopped blasting Gajeel and the two grudgingly moved to catch up with Jellal and Lily who were further up the hill. The entrance to the mine loomed before them, blocked by debris. Lily glided on ahead.

"Just to let you all know, I think this mission is going to be incredibly straight forward. I believe the dark guild holding the miners hostage are not a major threat but regardless do not let your guard down or get too confident," Jellal informed his team. "It'll be a piece of cake," he couldn't help but smirk as a certain red-headed beauty came to mind at the mention of cake.

"Basically don't get cocky is what you're getting at? Whatever," said Gajeel as he turned his fists into powerful iron pillars and began to smash the rock barring the entrance along with Lily who was already in battle mode shift.

"My spirit of steel won't lose against anything!" yelled Lily as the rocks gave away and he and Gajeel went charging into the mine shrieking at the top of their lungs. Jellal stood shoulder to shoulder with Juvia aghast at their companions disregard for any kind of logical, strategic plan. Jellal sighed, steepling his fingertips to his temples in an attitude of _why must I endure such mental frailty?_

"If that wasn't cocky then I don't know what is," he muttered. However he grinned in spite of himself and entered the mine with Juvia at his heels.

When the two blue haired wizards reached the heart of the mine there was already a pile of unconscious dark mages with yellow insignias of mushrooms on their ragged cloaks. Jellal took a single step to the side as another mage went flying through the air squealing from Gajeel's powerful strike.

"Lily my kill count is higher!" mocked Gajeel while clutching another mage in a head lock underneath his arm.

"We aren't killing them you fool! We won't get the jewels if we kill them!" Lily retorted tossing another mage onto a separate pile at the adjacent side of the mine.

"Juvia will find the missing miners," she said jetting off as Jellal nodded.

"Are you two just about finished here?" Jellal asked the battling duo.

"Just about," said Lily casually, swinging his sword blindly behind him, striking down two advancing dark mages equipped with their ridiculous makeshift weapons.

Jellal went into meteor, and followed the path Juvia had taken.

Just ahead Juvia stopped and solidified from her water state, upon spotting the cage of miners. She hurried over to their aid. They were all packed into a rusty cage that made a horrible screeching noise when Juvia shook the chain. The majority of the miners were taciturn as they lay curled up in the corner of the cage, while others were desperately tugging on Juvia's sleeve uttering vehement pleas.

"Juvia will get you all out. Do not fret."

Suddenly the ground began to shake at her feet but she paid it no attention as she was completely focused on breaking the feeble lock. It finally gave way and the miners came flooding out of the cage ushering their gratitude as they sprinted past her, back to where Gajeel and Lily where no doubt comparing their incapacitated foes. Some even grabbed pick axes to defend themselves on their way out. The ground still continued to shake triggering Juvia to prepare for a full on assault.

Jellal appeared across from Juvia and extinguished his meteor with a flourish. Suddenly something burst up from the earth beneath Juvia's feet sending her catapulting into the air.

"Juvia!"

Jellal braced for impact as the dust cleared…only to be met by a large…imposing…

…_.mushroom? _

"Juvia! Are you alright?" called Jellal dispelling his temporary confusion at the strange sight looming before him.

"Juvia is well!" she bubbled from the pool in the corner of the mine. "But Juvia cannot get out of this current predicament!" she gargled floating gently downstream as her body melded with the water.

A boisterous guffaw echoed throughout the mine as a man with platinum blonde hair cut in a bowl fashion, adorning a long red coat stepped out from the shadows.

"I will end you for I am the magnificent, malicious, marvelous…MUSHROOM MAN!"

"…... .. .. ..." Jellal stared at him blankly, as the mage began to chant.

"I will turn you to mush!

Don't you feel that rush?

I will make all the woman blush!

I will end you with one mighty crush!"

He finished his chant with a twirl and pointed straight at Jellal -in what Jellal believed was supposed to be a menacing manner.

"Are you for real?" Jellal intoned stifling a laugh.

"Do not interrupt my monologue! You lesser fungus!" the Mushroom Man wailed creating a giant red mushroom and tossed it at the flummoxed Jellal, who raised a palm and incinerated the _"attack" _effortlessly.

"I think this quest has too high a reward. Why is it so high?," mumbled Jellal to himself swiping his hand and sending an array of heavenly golden arrows at the Mushroom Maker, who laughed pompously as another luscious mushroom bounced up to shield him.

Jellal's arrows swiftly pierced through the pathetic mushroom shield causing the Mushroom Maker to crumble to the ground like a rag doll.

The sounds of Gajeel's battle cry echoed from the shaft as he entered the area, unknowingly stepping on the "magnificent" Mushroom Maker's face in the process.

"Lily's with the miners. Alright where's their leader? I'll pummel 'em!" he proclaimed biting into a metal pick axe.

Jellal pointed down, to the unconscious foe at his feet.

"Ah come on? Seriously? I was just getting started! Did the whole team really have to come on this one?" groaned a frustrated Gajeel. Jellal gave Juvia a hand out of the pool and turned to Gajeel a smug look painted across his face.

"The reward for this quest is 600,000 jewels."

Gajeel and Juvia's jaws hit the floor as Jellal strode past them trying and failing to conceal his smirk.


	3. Ch3 Team Redemption part 2

Team Redemption part 2

When Team Redemption eventually returned, the sun was scorching all of Magnolia and a heat haze danced throughout the streets. They entered the guild almost tripping over a practically naked Gray who was sleeping sprawled out across the floor. Juvia began shaking with restraint as she longed to reach over and hug her precious Gray-sama and tell him about how much money she had acquired, but she desperately wanted to follow Jellal's advice. On his passing, Jellal tapped her reassuringly on the shoulder before slipping into a seat beside Erza who was looking on at the bizarre spectacle with raised eyebrows.

Beads of water were now dripping from the rain woman's face as she stepped over the sleeping Gray with her eyes screwed tightly shut. Upon opening her eyes she gasped at her successful clearance of such a difficult obstacle and swivelled around to Jellal with a truly effulgent look, who nodded at her with an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

"I can see Juvia has a lot of respect for you," commented Erza. "Juvia is usually always loquacious but she seems very comfortable around you." As soon as she said it she inwardly cringed as it sounded like she was jealous. She wasn't. Not even a little bit. Curious not jealous.

"What was that all that about anyway," Erza said quickly gesturing to Juvia and Gray. Jellal grinned wolfishly but didn't meet her eyes.

"I just gave her love advice on the way back from that parody of a quest."

Erza snorted but attempted to conceal it with her hand and an inconspicuous cough.

"Love advice?"

"I know. Me of all people."

"You must have been close before you formed Team Redemption. How did you get her to warm up to you so much?"

"During the Grand Magic Games," he replied.

"That's right. I forget you were both on Fairy Tail Team B. But _really _love advice to _Juvia _about _Gray_?"

Jellal shrugged his shoulders. "She gave me helpful advice. Well more like a pep-talk but different from your more motivational, deep one about not throwing my life away."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway it's obvious Gray likes her but she's just so intense, no wonder he pulls away. I just told her to tone down her affection a little."

Erza gave him a withering look. "Is that what _you _were doing Jellal? Playing hard to get?"

Jellal flinched. "Wha-?! No! I couldn't fall for someone who walked in the light. It-" he began to stammer but Erza shushed him.

"I'm teasing."

Jellal's shoulders sagged with relief.

"You know I spoke to Gray too during the Grand Magic Games," Erza chuckled. "Only I told him to do the opposite," she said nudging Jellal's shoulder. She let a comfortable silence hang between them once more. Erza knew the people who were the most special to her, because she could share such a comfortable silence and not feel the need to fill it with such false small talk.

"So it was advice for advice huh?" she asked him.

"Something like that."

"What did she say to you? I'm very much intrigued," said Erza. Smiling, Jellal folded his arms in front of him. "Okay. It was during the Grand Magic Games and it was the first time I'd really had a proper conversation with the rain woman…"

_Jellal sat quietly, deep in thought as the restless water mage sat across from him. The rest of Fairy Tail B were currently absent._

* * *

"_Can Juvia ask Jellal something?"_

"_Yes of course, Juvia. Ask away," replied Jellal, pulling down his Mystogan scarf._

"_Juvia does not understand why Jellal has not told Erza how he feels."_

_Jellal let out a breath slowly. "It's more complicated than that."_

"_Juvia does not think so," she stated with a shake of her head._

"_Juvia…" Jellal began._

_Juvia raised a hand cutting him off before he could lapse into his usual angst._

"_Juvia does not understand Jellal-san's logic. Jellal was possessed and tortured and consequently was not in the right state of mind-"_

"_-But the point is Juvia I remember doing those things. It was me who committed those actions and so I must repent-"_

"_No."_

"_I must atone-"_

"_No."_

"_Juvia-"_

"_No."_

_Jellal sighed while leaning back, accepting defeat, so Juvia continued._

"_Gajeel beat Lucy horrendously and tortured Shadow Gear, but Makarov let him join the guild anyway. No one ever mentions it anymore and Levy is very fond of Gajeel now, so he has been forgiven. Gajeel was in the right state of mind…Jellal was not. Gajeel had far more to"atone" for. Even Laxus has been grudgingly forgiven. Gray-sama has even forgiven Lyon for his past actions. Juvia also has sins as Juvia was a member of Phantom Lord and had guilt by association," Juvia stopped and smiled before continuing. "Juvia thought that Fairy Tail would despise her forever, but Fairy Tail took Juvia in with open arms. Juvia need not have worried about rejection as Cana revealed when Juvia sacrificed herself when fighting the Raijinshu. Juvia's point is that Jellal should stop suffering and move on. The rest of us have."_

_A sad smile tugged at the corner of Jellal's mouth. It was as sad as it was faint. He grasped Juvia's shoulder. "Thank you. That means a lot," he said before standing up and walking away. He looked over his shoulder at her. "But neither you nor Gajeel killed a good friend." And with that he pulled his Mystogan disguise back on and swiftly departed, leaving behind an extremely disappointed water mage. "Juvia tried Erza-chan," she muttered disheartened. "Juvia tried_."

* * *

Jellal finished the story just as Wendy came over to their table with Lucy.

"Hey Jellal. Did you get enough for rent money?" asked Wendy.

"And more. That quest had painfully too high a reward for the immense joke it was. I tried to give some of the money back, but the client just wouldn't hear it."

"You tried to give the money _back? _Are you crazy?!" shrilled Lucy.

Erza shook her head. "Only you Jellal."

* * *

**Once again thanks for reading and all reviews are much appreciated. "Fairy Tail Salute***

**Next Time: "A Wise Fairy Once Told Me"**


	4. Ch4 A Wise Fairy Once Told me part 1

A Wise Fairy Once Told Me part 1

Erza looked up into Kagura's burning ember eyes. She could see behind the mage's crumbling walls to the pain locked away that had only been left to intensify over many lonely years. Erza knew all too well the pain of locking away your emotions.

"Jellal did not kill Simon," Erza said. "I did."

Kagura flinched like she'd been slapped. Her lust for revenge prevalent in her savage glare. She grinded her teeth, her seething rage no longer able to be restrained. "You'd go that far…that far to cover for _him?"_

Erza's gaze was unwavering as she continued to look up at the gravity mage.

"It's the truth. It was my weakness that killed Simon." Kagura recoiled at the bestiality that was conveyed so bluntly by the requip mage and swiftly grabbed at her sword. Shaking with fury Kagura clutched at the sword hilt as Erza remained on the floor. In a heartbeat she had it unsheathed.

Erza looked down, her fists clenched…but the blow never came. Instead she felt hot blood splatter across her face.

Erza's head snapped up only for her to be met with a blade mere inches from her face…

….and it was impaled straight through the heart of Jellal.

Blood dripped nefariously from the blade and Erza gaped in horror, as she felt her own heart freeze in her chest as Kagura yanked it out.

Jellal fell unceremoniously to the Earth.

Erza cradled him in her arms as Kagura stood unbelieving, bloodied sword hanging limply by her side. "Why…Why would he do that?"

Erza removed Jellal's Mystogan disguise, sobbing while stroking his face.

"Erza…I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No! I am not doing this again. Don't you dare leave me!" she cried holding him closer.

"I'm sorry for all the…all the pain I've caused you. I want…I want you to…"

"Shhh. Don't speak. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay," Erza reassured wrapping a piece of his cloak around the ugly gushing wound.

"Stay strong Erza. Live for me," Jellal said clutching her shaking hand. "Live for me," he repeated through sickly blue lips.

"Too many have died so that I could live," choked Erza.

Jellal smiled sadly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Scarlet…My Scarlet…" He murmured before his head lolled back and he went limp in the Titania's arms.

"JELLAL!" Erza screamed as loud as she could vociferate, crying over his inert body. A shuddering whine wrenched up through her chest and throat. On the outside she was a crying wreck of devastation. On the inside…on the inside she felt like she was missing an important organ named Jellal Fernandes.

"Erza! Erza wake up!" someone was shaking her forcefully causing her to suddenly jolt awake. Eyes darting frantically around the room, she took in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom at Fairy Hills with a concerned Jellal standing over her, clutching her shoulder.

_It was just a dream._

Her heartbeat felt like cannon fire as it reverberated throughout her entire body, but she tried to sound nonchalant. "I'm fine. Everything is fine," she said with a half hearted smile not realising that her face was soaked with tears. Jellal furrowed his brow and leaned forward, gently wiping away a fallen tear.

"Erza-" Jellal began before he was interrupted as Erza flung her arms around him, pulling him close. Most unbecoming of the Titania she began to cry quietly into his shoulder.

"Only I'm allowed to have nightmares," said Jellal causing Erza to pull away.

"Would you stop it with the atonement already," grumbled a still shaken Erza. "Just…stop." she clenched her fist in the air and then gently thumped it against his chest. His _beating _chest without a great big gaping hole in the middle of it.

"I'm sorry."

They held onto each for several moments until it finally dawned on Erza that Jellal was actually in her bedroom.

"How did you know I was having a nightmare anyway? Were you creeping at my window?" whispered Erza questioningly.

Jellal cringed at her tease before looking away. "No! I mean… no," he uttered more quietly. "It's like I…heard you in my head. It's happened once before when I was in prison. I can't really explain it," he said running his hand through his blue hair.

"Hmm I also experienced that when I was fighting Azuma on Tenrou Island. I could hear you in my head…it helped get me back on my feet," admitted Erza with a smile a slight heat rising to her cheeks.

"Is it some kind of telepathy magic?"

"I have no idea," replied Erza confused.

The pair sat puzzled before Erza spoke slightly distant. "You should go. No males are allowed in Fairy Hills," triggering Jellal to abruptly stand up from the bed. "You're right I-I shouldn't be here. It's a breach of conduct. I'm glad you're alright. I'll leave immediately," he said but he felt something suddenly grip his arm like a vice. He turned to see Erza clutching his arm.

"Erza…?"

Erza remained silent.

"Uh…Have I still to…"

"Kagura killed you."

Jellal felt a sudden sinking feeling in his gut.

"I was frustratingly weak for some ridiculous reason and just sat there instead of fighting back…I was just going to let her kill me but then you sacrificed yourself for me. You died," Erza said in a pained voice. "It was so _real_ Jellal," Erza sounded so hurt and unlike her usual self, Jellal without missing a beat, closed the distance and hugged her, holding her tightly to his chest.

"I'm not dying anytime soon Erza. I'm with you. You know a beautiful and wise Fairy Tail wizard once said that you don't die for your friends; you live for them," he stated with a smile stretching across his features. It was so rejuvenating to see him smile so often now like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. Erza smiled back at him for quoting her famous line. His smiles were just too infectious.

"Will you stay?" asked Erza. Jellal brushed his lips against hers. "Always."

Erza snuggled next to him listening to the soothing sound of his steadily beating heart.

_I am breaking harsh Fairy Hills regulations. I would punish another girl severely for doing this. I am truly a perfect Head Girl _thought Erza.

Satisfied Jellal was alive and well Erza let herself get carried off by the enticing lull of sleep, safe in the arms of the heavenly body magic mage.

* * *

**Special responses to reviews from Chapter 4**

**TheSecretDreamer: _ I know right?! I'm thrilled you like Team Redemption and yes they absolutely can rival Team Natsu. In fact there might just be an epic face off between the teams in the future..._**

**_Ajerzaaddict: _****_Yes I'm glad you like the lighthearted Jellal x Erza a little break from all the Jerza angst in canon XD_**

**_Dark Knight Jay: _****_Thank you! Yes I like keeping everyone in character. It just feels like an insult to them if I don't stay true to their personalities. I'm glad you read it like an episode that is exactly what I'm hoping to capture._**


	5. Ch5 A Wise Fairy Once Told Me part 2

A Wise Fairy Once Told Me part 2

"Erza! We made pancakes!"

Erza bolted awake, accidentally walloping Jellal's face in the process.

"Aaah-hmmmpf," Erza swiftly put her hand over his mouth muffling his surprised cry and made a gesture to the window. Eyes widening Jellal nodded in silent understanding and rolled off the bed, landing with a thump. Erza cringed at the noise.

"Erza?! Are you up? We said we made pancakes!" the girls sang again from outside of her door.

"Just a second!" Erza called making another 'shooing' gesture at Jellal who was still sprawled across the ground. He stood up trying to move as stealthily as possible but his foot caught on his long navy cloak and he tripped, face planting on the floor. Erza dropped her face into her hands.

"Erza? Are you okay?" Lucy asked knocking on the door again.

"I'm fine!" called Erza.

Jellal got back to his feet grimacing and mouthed a silent: _Sorry._

Erza forcefully pointed at the window to which Jellal responded with a thumbs up.

He jumped up onto the window and in less than a blink he had used Meteor to shoot away, creating a strong gust of wind in his wake, that swept throughout her entire room. She let out a breath she had been holding the entire time and smiled softly.

"Erza! Pancakes!"

"Oh right." Erza leapt up from the bed and opened her door.

Lucy, Laki and Levy stood staring at her blankly.

"Uh…are you alright?" asked Lucy.

"Yes! Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be? Pancakes!" she announced happily taking a plate from Lucy and walking past the girls leaving them slightly flabbergasted. Unbeknownst to Erza, her hair was sticking up severely at an unnatural angle due to the sheer blast from Meteor. Evergreen passed her on the way to the lobby and smirked. The Titania only noticed her "wind-swept" look when she caught herself in the mirror and groaned instantly reequipping into her Heart Kreuz armour.

* * *

Jellal was walking outside along a path to the guildhall when he suddenly heard the distinctive sound of someone softly crying. The tree to his left was swaying while the rest remained still which was odd as the morning was not at all a gusty one. He checked behind it only to discover Wendy sitting alone with her back to the trunk, hugging her knees close to her chest. The leaves were dancing around her and the breeze was emanating from Wendy herself.

"Wendy?"

The sky dragon slayer looked up at him and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Hello Jellal."

"Is everything okay?"

Wendy looked away and the breeze became fainter.

"I've just been thinking."

"Uh oh. Sometimes that can be dangerous. You could think to the point of over thinking and then you just put yourself in a downer. Over-thinking can ruin you. It twists things around, causes you to incessantly worry and just makes things much worse than they truly are. I'm guilty of it as I've frequently created problems in my own head which didn't help anything in the slightest," said Jellal.

Wendy laughed and that made him feel happy even if he was just being unintentionally funny.

"It's just something that's always on the back of my mind. Yesterday Carla told me that I'm not as strong as the rest of you and that I should stop trying to keep up all the time."

Jellal furrowed his brow. "Wendy if it wasn't for you neither Erza or I would even be here." The breeze suddenly ceased and Wendy looked deep in thought.

"I…didn't think about that."

"Wendy I saw your fight with Chelia on the lacrima. You are not weak do not think for a second that you are. Why do you think Team Natsu and Shadow Gear fight over you?"

Wendy smiled. "I guess it's just because I'm getting older and I don't have my age as an excuse anymore. I mean Erza got S-class at age fifteen and Mirajane was sixteen. I'm not far off that."

"Comparison is like the plague. Everyone is strong in their own way," said Jellal. He stood up and offered her his hand. "C'mon. Walk with me?" Wendy accepted his outstretched hand and he pulled her to her feet.

"I'm sorry I'm not Mystogan."

Wendy gave him a funny look. "Yeah that'll be because you're Jellal."

He remembered how when he had lost his memory, Wendy had told him that he had helped her in her time of need and that made him feel like he wasn't a complete monster. Of course when his memories did eventually come flooding back and he couldn't remember ever having helped her, that just made him feel much worse.

"Mystogan was a good friend but so are you," she said sweetly. Jellal smiled at her just as he heard something that caught his undivided attention. He looked over to see Max behind the Fairy Tail gift shop where a mother and her young daughter were making a purchase. The little girl had jet black hair that was braided down her back tied off with a pink ribbon and she was wearing a blue sundress. Most importantly she was talking about Wendy.

"Wendy look," Jellal pointed to the pair and beckoned for her to come closer to listen. The young girl was holding on to a Wendy figurine.

"-how determined Wendy is. I wish I was more like her. She's so strong and smart and she has really pretty blue hair," the little girl was babbling as her mum handed Max the jewels.

Wendy wrapped her arms around Jellal's torso.

"Thank you," she whispered eyes glistening. Jellal felt his heart swell in his chest. It was true he wasn't Mystogan but he could tell that Wendy respected him and cared for him as she did his Edolas counterpart.

"Don't thank me, you should really thank that girl." Jellal looked back but the girl and her mother had already gone.

"I wouldn't want to foil the heroic image she has of me," she admitted.

"Don't sell yourself short Wendy. Let's go see Max."

They began to make their way over but they stopped as the mother came hurrying back. She picked up another figurine exchanged the jewels practically throwing them at Max and quickly stuffed the figure in her bag before making a swift departure. Wendy turned to Jellal and he shrugged.

Max grinned when Jellal and Wendy approached the gift shop.

"Jellal. Wendy," he nodded to each of them.

"Hey Max. I didn't know you had your stall up and running again," greeted Wendy.

"Yeah it's good to be back. There's a bit of competition though, because there's that blonde across the street," Max pointed out and waved over causing Jellal and Wendy to turn around. Sure enough, there was a woman with long golden hair at a stall selling what looked to be snow globes. She waved over with a radiant smile. "She's no match for my charm though," Max sighed. "Oh yeah, there was a girl just here a minute ago who was all taken by you Wendy. It was adorable."

Wendy turned to Jellal and smiled. Suddenly Max snorted. "Actually Jellal I think the mother was all taken by you too."

"What do you mean?" asked Jellal slightly mortified.

"Well she bought your figurine all incognito and her face was bright red. She mumbled 'it's not for me' and then sprinted away," Max snickered.

Jellal's mouth made a thin line and Wendy giggled.

"You are really popular with the ladies…and some guys. Your figurine is really new and you've already sold more than Macao."

"How many has Macao sold?" asked Wendy.

"None."

"Poor Macao. He really cares about this as well. Let's change that," declared Wendy.

And so Jellal and Wendy bought a Macao figurine and he was ecstatic when Max told him that there had been a grand total of one of his Macao figures sold. That's what it meant to be in Fairy Tail. They cherished and protected each other. If that meant buying a figurine to boost someone's ego then so be it.

* * *

**Remember in the OVA, Macao was distraught that his figurine wasn't even in production yet? XD Another lighthearted mini arc but it's essential because the darker ones will be here soon. It's important to weave the happy and the sad since that's actually what makes Fairy Tail so powerful. Also, you may see the golden haired snow globe woman again in the future...**

**Thanks for reading and reviews are much appreciated. *Fairy Tail Salute***

**Next Time: "Poison or Promise?"**


	6. Ch6 Poison Or Promise part 1

Poison Or Promise part 1

Harsh stormy weather roared throughout Magnolia and the guild hall was almost completely full. Extravagant lightning flashed across the sky and rain poured down crashing menacingly against the Fairy Tail guildhall.

"I'm pretty sure Juvia and Laxus must be to blame for this weather," grumbled Gray staring out into the lugubrious dark sky.

Juvia heard him from across the other side of the hall where she was sitting with the rest of Team Redemption plus Erza and felt her heart turn instantly to stone.

"No Gray-sama! Don't be mad! Juvia had nothing to do with the rain, this time!" she announced flustered before fainting, smacking her head off the wooden table with a thud causing Gajeel to roll his eyes. Pantherlily was quivering underneath the table, flinching every time the guild lit up with the nefarious lightning, much to Happy's utter delight as he stood smug next to Carla.

Natsu smashed his fists together.

"If Laxus is behind this then I'm all fired up to fight him!" he cried in anticipation for an epic brawl with one of his many rivals.

Laxus was sitting with his feet up, concealed behind a pillar with his eyes closed.

"Relax Pinky, this isn't my doing," he said in bored sepulchral tones. Natsu's head snapped up at the sound of his voice.

"Don't you hide from me you coward! Come and fight me Laxus!"

Laxus groaned and turned his music up louder drowning out the brash Salamander. Suddenly Freed appeared eyes gleaming.

"This is most definitely not Laxus' lightning as this pales in comparison to the sheer might of Laxus' legendary and glorious lightning!" beamed Freed with one hand on his heart and the other stretched out like he was reciting poetry.

"That's nice of you to say Freed," commented Mirajane with a genuine glowing smile as she passed with a tray of drinks. The green haired mage instantly turned a shade of deep crimson -much to Bickslow's amusement- and scampered away from further prying eyes. Kinana laughed at his reaction as she placed some hot drinks in front of Gajeel, Erza, Jellal and the unconscious Juvia.

Erza turned to Kinana. "How have you been? I heard you've had more issues recently. Are you well now?" she asked.

"Oh yes thank you. I am quite well. My little episodes had stopped but then they started up again a few days ago for some reason," Kinana replied tucking her purple hair behind her ears.

"Are you alright to be up and about?" asked Jellal concerned.

"Oh I'm perfectly fine, but thank you. Working is fun for me," she said before walking away.

"Kinana doesn't even have magic and she's a tough gal. Geehee." stated Gajeel, as unbeknownst to him, Levy shoved her face further into her book overhearing his comment.

"THIS WEATHER IS MANLY!" boomed Elfman almost bursting the nearby Lucy's eardrums.

"I don't see why everyone is making such a fuss about the weather. It really is no big deal," huffed Carla causing Happy to do a Frosch as he nodded and agreed full-heartedly with her.

A tingling sensation suddenly spread out throughout Erza's body and she clutched Jellal's hand.

"Did you feel that?"

He nodded. "I sense strong magic energy levels. Someone not in our guild."

Erza still loved it when he said _our guild._ It made her feel...well... _fuzzy_ inside. But she would never admit that out loud of course. She did have a reputation.

"I didn't feel anything," said Gajeel.

"We have a visitor," announced Cana holding up her drink spilling some of it as she motioned to the front doors.

"So it would seem," Makarov stated appearing on the balcony.

Everyone turned to stare at the large wooden front doors. Only the sound of the rain crashing down outside could be heard throughout the entire hall as silence swiftly descended upon the guild.

Eventually the doors swung open and a mysterious figure stood before the guild as lightning flashed brilliantly behind them, illuminating their outline.

The stranger stepped into the hall, maroon hair and navy coat dripping wet. Kinana dropped the glass she was cleaning and it shattered across the floor, breaking the long suspenseful silence.

"It's you," said Erza.

Cobra the poison dragon slayer was standing in the Fairy Tail guild hall.


	7. Ch7 Poison Or Promise part 2

Poison Or Promise part 2

Natsu growled and immediately squared up to Cobra.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I don't really know myself," Cobra answered with a shrug of his shoulders. Jellal quickly got in between the two dragon slayers before things got inevitably messy.

"Are the rest of Crime Sorcière here? What about Sabertooth?" Jellal inquired.

Cobra shook his head. "No it's just me Blue."

"What-!? Cobra is in Crime Sorcière? When did that happen?" cried Happy in confusion.

"Happy remember Jellal liberated the Oracion Seis and recruited them into Crime Sorcière?" Wendy kindly reminded him.

"Jellal defeated the Oracion Seis all on his own!?" exclaimed Happy. Lily face palmed.

"Honestly tomcat do you ever listen. The council finally dropped charges against Jellal and Meredy so long as they took care of the Oracion Seis. When Jellal defeated them all single-handedly he recruited them into Crime Sorcière. The remainder of Sabertooth led by Sting, melded with the new Crime Sorcière. They are now verified by the council. You knew all of this as you were told, you can't possibly have forgotten," snapped Carla.

Happy's face fell. "Sorry Carla…I may have been thinking about fish at the time…or eating fish." Carla threw her arms up in the air and turned away no longer able to withstand being in the other exceed's draining presence.

Natsu was seething from behind Jellal. "You do know that's the creep who nearly got Erza killed seven years ago." He pushed against Jellal's restraining arm. "He nearly killed Erza!" he repeated.

Ice instantly shot through Jellal's veins. _Why did he not know this?_ He knew that Erza had almost died from poison during the Nirvana incident and Wendy had healed her…of course it had been Cobra. Poison. Duh. Hell, when he'd liberated the Oracion Seis he had dealt with Cobra if he'd only known that…

Jellal was beginning to zone out but he caught: "That was Cubellios not me."

Jellal moved slightly as if an earthquake had swept under his feet: taking firmer footing he suddenly said, "Enough."

Profound silence fell as he uttered that simple word with deep but low intonation. He was not the peace keeper of only mere moments ago, as a sudden dark change had overcome him. He was no longer restraining Natsu but the fire dragon slayer was too baffled at his friend to move.

Cobra raised his hands sensing the sudden drastic change in character. "Hey I don't want any trouble-"

As swift as the lightning outside, Jellal was clutching Cobra roughly by his coat, so that Cobra was only inches from his face. Jellal's usually tranquil eyes were on fire.

Cobra had seen how this man had single-handedly defeated the entire Oracion Seis. And looking at him now: ferocious and protective, Cobra felt genuine fear. It was like he was tearing him apart staring into his soul and glaring at every atrocity he had ever committed.

"You better have turned over a new leaf or I swear I will end you this time. Harm Erza again. Harm anyone in this guild and you'll be in for a world of hurt," Jellal threatened.

"Uhh-yeah…yeah. Sure-sure. I hear you loud and clear."

"I also apologise for everything I myself, put _you _through when I enslaved you at the Tower Of Heaven. I wasn't… myself," Jellal finished. He released Cobra and the fury seemed to dissipate from him immediately much to Erza's relief.

There was a long tense silence.

"Wow," Cana breathed. Then to Cobra's utter confusion the guild burst into hysteric laughter. Cobra looked around in utter astonishment.

_These people are crazy, _Cobra couldn't help but think to himself aghast.

"But seriously," frowned Natsu. "We'd end you," but his lip curled and he doubled over with laughter.

"What even are you people?" marvelled Cobra.

"Back to business. Why are you even here Cobra," grilled Erza.

Cobra sighed and put some irritation into it to mask his own uneasiness. "I just came to see Cubellios-"

"Her name is Kinana!" snapped Laki. "Her name is Kinana so say it you ass!"

Her sudden outburst shocked Cobra to his core and it showed on his face.

"I'm…I'm sorry…for everything I guess. I just came to see Cubell-Kinana and to see if I could…urrrgh never mind." He turned on his heel shoving his hands abruptly into his pockets but someone grabbed his arm.

Kinana.

She was looking at him. _Really _looking at him. There was such pity in her emerald eyes. Ever so gently she placed her hand on his face, the side with the scar running through his mutilated eye.

"Erik. You want to join Fairy Tail…don't you?" she asked. Softly so softly. It felt good to have someone who cared. He couldn't believe that he had once belittled this guild for their faith in friendship...and she had called him by his real name. He stared down at the floor.

"My head's a mess. I don't really know what I want," he admitted. Erza tried to catch Jellal's eye but he was watching Cobra intently.

"I have a suggestion," Gajeel spoke up finally standing up from the table. "You fight me."

Cobra turned to look at the iron dragon slayer.

"What?"

"If I win you have to join Fairy Tail. If you win you can go on bemoaning your pathetic existence elsewhere."

"What! No way! He should fight me!" cried Natsu intense flames igniting in his hands. Natsu dived at him but Gajeel lifted his boot and caught him in the face pushing him into the ground.

"Nah you've had your turn Dragneel. Let the poison dragon slayer take on the iron dragon slayer," Gajeel stated folding his arms, cocking his head to one side not taking his foot off Natsu's face who was thrashing around and roaring flames.

The entire guild looked to Cobra.

"Uh Master…are you okay with this?" Lucy inquired a little sceptical.

"Of course! This is exciting!" Makarov exclaimed.

"Right," replied Lucy, eyebrow twitching. "Of course you are."

Levy looked nervous. "Gajeel is this really a good idea…"

"Calm it Shrimp. I've got this," he replied with a wide grin as if it were him and not Natsu who was capable of setting the world ablaze.

Cobra was weighing the challenge around in his head, contemplating the possibilities…

_Stop you're over thinking this._

Kinana's voice echoed in his mind and he drew a deep breath and let it out slowly not looking at her.

"I accept."

Gajeel's crazed grin grew even wider.

"As long as Blue here doesn't kill me," declared Cobra.

Jellal laughed. "You have my word."

Gajeel shook hands with Cobra and then gestured for him to follow him outside into the garden.

"If they break that stunning stone statue on the Mavis fountain, I'll turn them both to stone," threatened Evergreen.

"You turn people to stone regardless," grumbled Laxus as he moved to go and watch the spectacle with Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen following him close behind at his heels.

"This is so MANLY," boomed Elfman sprinting out into the garden with Lisanna on his shoulders.

The rest of Team Redemption and Team Natsu also followed the dragon slayers and soon the whole guild had flooded into the garden to witness the event.

Outside the storm had calmed but it had not ceased altogether, Freed immediately began inscribing runes into the ground that would create a mini arena, protecting the fountain, flowers and guild members from harm as well as stopping the rain from crashing down.

Cobra removed his white coat and handed it to Kinana, before stepping over the purple runes. Gajeel scoffed and turned to Levy.

"Hey Shrimp, mind if I get some iron over here?"

Levy nodded in compliance and the word "_Iron_" suddenly appeared in midair, some meters away from her in the makeshift arena, before hitting the ground with a _clank_.

"Thanks." Gajeel stepped across the threshold of glowing purple runes and stood behind the iron, immediately taking a large chunk out of it and gnashing it between his spiky teeth. He swallowed and gave Levy a thumbs up, causing her to smile.

Erza remembered when she was showing Lucy around Fairy Hills and Levy had told Lucy that Erza liked "naughty books." Erza decided she would get the solid script mage back for trying to mortify her and put her right in it.

"Hey Levy, why did you make the "O" in "iron" take the shape of a love heart?" offered Erza wickedly.

"Oh I don't know that just happens sometimes," parried Levy, slight colour rising to her cheeks.

"I see. It's just that I've never seen you do that before in all the years I've known you," pressed Erza and this time Levy really did flush bright red.

She looked over Erza's shoulder. "What's that? Oh I'm sorry I-ah think Jet and Droy are calling me." Levy quickly escaped from the Titania's wrath and Lucy watched her hurry away.

"Poor Levy."

Erza shrugged. "Well she started this war and I don't intend to lose."

"She did? pondered Lucy. "How did she…Oh is that because she said-"

With a viper-quick turn of her head Erza made Lucy -along with Gray and Natsu- flinch. "Don't go there," she said brusquely triggering Lucy to shake her head frantically. Jellal had his hand over his mouth but his eyes were laughing and he was suddenly incredibly interested at the ground at his feet. Juvia shook Jellal's shoulder and he nearly lost it right there.

"Jellal-sama I think they're about to start," Juvia announced lifting up a banner that read: _"Go Team Redemption!"_

"When did you even have time to make that?" asked Jellal exasperated as she waved it back and forth.

Erza, Gray, Natsu and Lucy looked at the odd pair and couldn't believe how much Juvia had come out of her shell and it was all down to Jellal of all people.

_His life was so nightmarish now he's acting like a shrink for everyone else, _thought Erza looking at Wendy who was also looking at Jellal. Wendy locked her gaze with Erza and she must have been thinking the same because the sky dragon slayer smiled.

Actually Erza couldn't recall the last time Juvia had referred to Lucy as a "love rival." Erza laughed aloud to herself.

_Maybe Jellal's "love advice" is actually working._

Gray was staring at Juvia but then he abruptly looked away before anyone caught him.

_Too late, _thought Erza.

"I should be in this! Move aside! I could take both those clowns blind folded!" Natsu made to dart across the line of symbols just before Freed closed them but Gray hooked his arms under Natsu's and got him in a tight head lock.

"Let go Ice Princess!" growled Natsu.

"In your dreams Flame Brain."

Suddenly Freed's runes began to glow brightly and the transparent lilac force field spread across the guildhall garden.

Gajeel rolled his shoulder back as iron scales covered his entire body. "Let's go Cyclops," provoked Gajeel.

"Let's just get this over with." Cobra rolled his one good eye and his arm transformed as if he was wearing a gauntlet of scales, his claws extending out like blades.

"If you want a taste of the power of the Poison Dragon Slayer so bad then come on!"

Gajeel ran to meet him head on.

* * *

**Shout out to my friend Laxley for the suggestion of the nickname "Cyclops" for Cobra.**

******Thanks for reading :) *****Fairy Tail Salute***


	8. Ch8 Poison Or Promise part 3

**There is no shortage of Fairy Tail battle music you could listen to while this fight plays out. You could always try Cobra The Poison Dragon OST, Fists Blazing OST extended, Gekitou Mahou Jin Ost extended. **

** Makarov Vs Hades Ost extended works too I think. Anyway hope you enjoy.**

**ღ Happy reading ღ **

**-Eva**

* * *

Poison Or Promise part 3

Lurching forward Gajeel formed his fists into great clubs and swung at Cobra who effortlessly moved to the side, sensing his every movement. Gajeel twisted around aiming for a blow to the head but Cobra ducked placing his palm on Gajeel's torso.

"Sound Palm," he announced as he transmitted a powerful sound wave from his hand propelling Gajeel hurtling through the air. The force field glowed purple as it rippled when Gajeel slammed into it. He tumbled to the ground but stood up his shoulders shaking as he chuckled.

"I'm just getting started Cyclops," he shouted charging at Cobra once more; his arm morphing into a devastating iron hammer. He let out a fierce battle cry as he whipped the hammer around only for Cobra to bend backwards causing the hammer to just narrowly miss his face. Cobra replied with a swift poison fist striking him with an uppercut that only seemed to fuel Gajeel's rage as he was pushed back, his heels digging into the ground.

"You're so loud. I can hear everything Gajeel."

"Geehee, is that so?" asked Gajeel as he began to gather magic power in his mouth charging for a roar. Cobra grinned in anticipation and began to do the same thing.

"IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!" Gajeel shaped the roar into a powerful tornado releasing sharp shards of metal just as Cobra yelled, "POISON DRAGON'S ROAR!" The two attacks collided and the guild cheered as the bright red roar clashed with the silver one, apart from Natsu who was still seething, steam shooting from his ears.

"You call that a roar!" Natsu shrieked pummelling the force field attempting to rip it apart.

"There's no use Natsu you can't get through my runes. They're impenetrable," said Freed sanctimoniously, folding his arms.

"Watch me!" he yelled smashing the force field with a flaming fist. Seeing how it was having no effect he turned to Freed with a wicked glint in his eye.

"What if I defeat you first?" he suggested. Freed recoiled but Erza hastily knocked Natsu out before he could lay a finger on Freed. Another battle promptly avoided, Freed nodded at Erza in silent thanks as they turned back to the fight currently at hand.

The ephemeral blast propelled both Cobra and Gajeel backwards although Cobra was pushed significantly further. Max, who was walking around attempting to sell merchandise, dropped his box of knick-knacks, practically jumping out of his skin when Cobra smacked against the wall.

"I can hit you with the harder stuff. Your skin is tough so you will be less susceptible to poison," Cobra told Gajeel raising his arms as he got back to his feet.

"Why? Afraid to hurt me Twinkle Toes?" jeered Gajeel.

"Twin Fang!" Cobra shouted crossing his arms in front of him forming two poison waves taking the pernicious shape of fangs. The attack split into several serpentine whips as it shot towards Gajeel who dodged the first whip of poison and blocked the second. A third wrapped around his ankle, burning against him, before it yanked pulling him to the ground. On the ground he was bombarded with poison and he flinched as it fizzed loudly against his iron scales. He yelled in frustration and unleashed his iron god sword swiping away the poison around him and lunged at his opponent with the nefarious weapon raised above his head menacingly. Cobra manipulated the sound in his vicinity into a wall of sheer pressure which Gajeel hurtled into, sending him flying backwards through the air.

"Would you quit dodging!" demanded Gajeel his teeth grating together as a burst of rage filled him. "Predict this!" Gajeel kicked and multiple iron pillars shot out from his leg, all aiming at Cobra at seemingly random trajectories.

Cobra swiftly dodged every single one.

"Son of a-" he was abruptly cut off as Cobra launched himself forward grabbing Gajeel's face with his virulent clawed hand that was emanating poison and chucked him across the arena. Gajeel skidded across the ground face first, swallowing a mouthful of dirt in the process, before he came to an abrupt halt in front of Mavis's fountain.

Levy clutched Lily so hard the exceed's eyes were almost popping out.

"Come on Gajeel!" encouraged Jellal while Juvia waved her _Team Redemption_ banner. Cobra stood hunched over breathing heavy as he watched Gajeel lying inert face down. The iron dragon slayer began to laugh maniacally still lying on his front.

"Geeheehehehehehehehehehe. I know how to beat you," he drawled his voice dangerously low. Suddenly the ground beneath Gajeel turned a vivid but eerie blue as the shadows seemed to curl towards him. He sank into the ground becoming intangible. All Cobra could hear now was the unnerving sound of his own quickened pulse pounding in his ears. His hands began to shake in an unfamiliar, trembling manner but he clenched them into fists to conceal his uneasiness.

Gajeel appeared right next to him, like the shadows had formed and created him. Unable to sense his movements like this, Gajeel struck Cobra in the head causing him to crumble to the floor on his knees. The shadows writhed around Gajeel's arm, grouping together to form a sword which he slashed at Cobra sending him skidding painfully across the arena on his back. Wasting no time and shooting forward like a demon, Gajeel clutched the collar of Cobra's top leering into the poison dragon slayer's face.

"Can you sense my moves now"? He punched him in the face.

"Can you?" He needled, punching him again.

"Gajeel! Don't go overboard!" Screamed Kinana. Gajeel all of a sudden stopped mid punch that was only a smidgen from Cobra's face. His Iron Shadow Dragon Mode melted away and he stood up grinning at the baffled Cobra.

"I can't believe I lost to you," he admitted wiping the blood from his lip.

"Yeah well I'm a Fairy Tail wizard…and in this guild we don't lose. It's a given. I learned that the hard way but you'll learn that too Cyclops. Geehee. Really you should know that after Erza and Natsu kicked your ass before."

Gajeel offered Cobra his hand. Cobra stared at it for several long moments scowling before grudgingly accepting it and the iron dragon slayer pulled him to his feet.

Makarov appeared grinning from ear to ear. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

Jellal moved next to the guild master. "And welcome to Team Redemption I believe."

Cobra stood stunned at all the radiant faces of the guild smiling at him and he didn't know how to deal with all this attention projected solely at him.

"I…"

Wendy weaved her way through the jovial guild until she was standing in front of Cobra who looked down at her quizzically. She smiled, pointing to his perpetually closed eye with the single scar running through it.

"I can't promise it'll work but I think I might be able to heal your eye. I've done it before."

Cobra's other eye widened and his breath caught in his throat. He cleared it and attempted to capture his aura of arrogance from earlier, but his voice sounded strangely off kilter.

"Okay then."

Wendy stretched up and laid her hand over his eye and her hand began to glow a soft and soothing blue. The guild watched on with baited breath. There was something sweet about Wendy healing the once vicious member of Oracion Seis like this was the official and final sealing of peace. She removed her hand and Cobra could see so clearly. The guild hollered and cheered the way only Fairy Tail could. The scar was still there but the eye itself had healed. Tears pricked the poison dragon slayer's eyes and Wendy's face lit up at her handy work.

"Thank you. Truly… thank you. It's Wendy right?"

"Yes and it's no problem."

"Celebration!" shrieked Macao and Wakaba clanking their drinks together and Fairy Tail leapt at the excuse for a chance to party.

"Damn I guess I can't call you Cyclops anymore," moaned Gajeel punching Cobra in the shoulder. "'Your name is Erik, eh? I guess I'll just have to call you that!" he said with a devilish grin.

"My name is Cobra!"

"Pffft that makes no sense! Kinana is the snake not you Erik Elf-Ears," jeered Gajeel.

"You want to go again Gajeel?" growled Cobra.

Seeing Wendy heal Cobra made Erza flash back to when Jellal entered the guild hall after liberating the Oracion Seis. His eyes were sealed shut, blood dripping from the corners after maiming them in his fight against Midnight, leaning on a distressed Meredy. Erza remembered her body freezing as a cold wave embalmed her and her mouth ran dry. The only thing that seemed to be active was her frantic heart which was beating faster than she could count each throb, upon seeing Jellal in that painful state. She had dashed forward before she had even registered what she was doing and equipped out of her Heart Kreuz armour into a simple white blouse and blue skirt just so she could clutch his hand. Erza would never, for as long as she lived, forget how he had slowly turned to her, seemingly crying blood his voice uncertain but hopeful.

"Erza?"

"I'm here. I'll always be here."

Porlyusica with the help of Wendy had restored his eyes, thank the heavens and Jellal had stayed. Atonement and false fiancés be damned Erza had, had enough of Jellal slipping away.

Back to the present she couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu watching Gajeel and Cobra face off, since just across the hall, Gray and Natsu were locked in a heated death stare of their own. She shook her head and turned a blind eye. Just this once.

Jellal walked up to Wendy and ruffled her hair. "Still think you're weak huh?" he asked.

Wendy laughed and nudged him before flattening her hair back to normal. Carla overheard and her grandiloquent aura seemed to temporarily diminish. "I am sorry child, if I upset you before with my thoughtless comment," she sighed deeply before continuing. "It was never my intention to dampen your spirits."

Jellal decided to leave them to it and sat down next to Erza ducking as a chair went whizzing by, just narrowly missing his face. Erza abruptly stood up and glared at Natsu and Gray who seemed to shrink underneath her piercing glare before she sat back down content once more.

Erza smiled as she watched Mirajane stamp a purple Fairy Tail emblem on Cobra's neck.

"I'm actually overjoyed about this," admitted Erza.

Jellal raised his eyebrows. "You are?"

"Yes. When I heard about how Cobra was taken away by the Magic council before Kinana could really sort things out with him…I could relate to her _immensely_. The magic council just seemed to ruin everything," she said, her voice bitter.

"They were just doing their jobs," replied Jellal.

"They were being difficult."

It was clear they weren't discussing Cobra and Kinana anymore.

"They were following the _law,__"_stated Jellal.

"They were being indifferent," parried Erza.

"They were locking up a dangerous criminal."

"They were destroying your life."

"Maybe my life had to be destroyed in order for it to be built back up again," he said with a sad smile that Erza returned as she reached over and discreetly held his hand under the table.

"Well I'm here. I'll always be here," Erza recited her speech from that harrowing time and it brought an ebullient smile to Jellal's face. No more words were shared as the pair sat in comfortable silence while Erza tucked into a cream cake and Jellal sat content wallowing in happiness rather than torment. He let go a piece of his old self every day, constantly evolving into a more optimistic person. The guild's contagious joy had rubbed off on him…and it was never going to fade away.

Makarov was watching the madness unfold from above as Mavis sat swinging her legs across the banister beside him.

"Are you alright with this First Master? I hope I am not making a mockery of your guild letting people in with questionable past actions. Do you think he's poison or promise? Pardon the pun," admitted Makarov with a wry grin.

Mavis swung her legs back and forth cheerily.

"Of course not Three. Or is it Six?" she replied with a laugh. "The guild is thriving under your leadership. Fairy Tail is exactly how I wanted it to be and more."

"So you're okay with having Cobra join?"

Mavis stopped swinging her legs and Makarov became suddenly nervous as the first master remained unnaturally still with her back to him.

"That is what Fairy Tail is all about. This bond we all share is powerful and that is something that everyone should be entitled to. Those with tortured pasts and heavy burdens on their shoulders especially," she stated. Makarov smiled at her wisdom. With a viper quick turn of her head Mavis suddenly whipped around to face Makarov with her emerald eyes wide and glittering.

"Plus now we have _five _dragon slayers."

"Well technically Laxus and Cobra aren't-"

Mavis's smile soured and Makarov abruptly halted that trail of thought.

"I'm sure that's more than any other guild, first master."

The scowl melted from Mavis' face as she beamed so bright she could have melted an entire ice cap.

"That's because Fairy Tail is the best."

When the first master said it like that, there was no way you could possibly disagree with her.

* * *

**Special Response to Ash Lite for the suggestion that Gajeel call Cobra by his real name Erik.**

**Thanks for reading and if you're enjoying the story then please feel free to leave a review because I love hearing your thoughts. (haha I just realised that is kind of a Cobra pun.) **

**I have some sad chapters coming up involving Ultear with slight spoilers but with my own twist just to let you know, so you could always skip the arc if you desire to do so, but you'll miss the story of how Jellal broke out of prison and what happened to Meredy when Jellal joined Fairy Tail. It's a little twist I thought of so I hope it sits okay with everyone. **

**I sense a unique S-Class trial fast approaching as well…**

***Fairy Tail Salute***

**Next Time: "Once Upon An Arc Of Time"**


	9. Ch9 Once Upon An Arc Of Time part 1

**Thanks to ****Thalia Ginny C****, ****MayeLamker****, ****Dark Knight Jay****, ****TitaniaKnightwalker, White Okami, Ash Lite for your reviews on Poison Or Promise! Also ****zrazarud and C. Snowflakes for commenting on that author's note :)**

* * *

Once Upon An Arc of Time part 1

"Is Jellal here? I have urgent news and it is important I speak with him immediately," said Meredy her long pony tail swishing behind her as she walked brusquely towards Mirajane across the Fairy Tail guildhall. Cobra and Kinana stopped their current conversation and turned their attention to the pink haired mage.

"No he's not here at the moment but you're in luck he's not out on a mission. I think he's just back at his apartment," said Mirajane giving her a sweet smile. Meredy nodded and hoisted the large box she had under one arm that was slowly slipping from her grip.

"Can you tell me where that is?"

"It used to be Lucy's so I'd send her with you, but she's out with Team Natsu."

"Meredy!" exclaimed Juvia getting up and hugging the pink haired mage. "Juvia can take you," she said spinning on her heel and gesturing for her to follow.

"Do you need help carrying that box. I could-" started Cobra, but Meredy cut him off with a curt. "No." She cringed at how harsh she sounded and softened her tone. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, it's just really..._fragile_. I'd rather handle it myself thank you."

"Can I get you anything?" Mirajane and Kinana asked practically in synchronisation.

Meredy gave them both a close-lipped smile. "Maybe another time?"

"Is everything okay?" asked Mirajane concern creeping into her cheery voice. "Is it good or bad news?"

Meredy turned to her ashen faced.

"It depends on your outlook."

* * *

There was a knock on his door and Jellal put down his book he was currently reading and strode across the room to answer it. To his pleasant surprise he found Meredy behind it clutching a large wooden box with intricate black markings carved into the sides.

"Meredy? Come on in," he said opening the door wider.

She complied and entered the spacious apartment placing the mysterious box down on the floor.

"I take it you're here on business then?" he said gesturing to the enigma on his floor. Meredy sighed heavily and sat with her feet crossed.

"Meredy, you can sit on the couch-"

"I'm here about Ultear," she said cutting straight to the point.

Jellal felt the lock he had in his mind about Ultear break and his repressed memories came flooding back to the surface. He felt the perpetual numb pain about her sacrifice clutch at his chest once more.

"Right…" he replied softly sitting down next to her.

"I miss her Jellal. I miss her so much, but I know she did it because-" her voice hitched.

"Time doesn't heal all wounds Meredy. The wounds will always remain, they will just become easier to bear. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never truly gone," confessed Jellal. Meredy was gently running her hand along the enigmatic carvings on the box blinking back tears as Jellal spoke.

"You know Meredy, you don't have to stay in Sabertooth. Fairy Tail would welcome you."

"Thank you. I don't doubt for a second that they wouldn't but I-ahh met someone," she said a blush slowly flooding her cheeks. "They're coming to meet me soon. I just wanted time to talk to you alone." She tapped the box. Jellal decided not to press the matter of who exactly was causing her to blush the shade of a tomato and let her off the hook. He could see that this wasn't the time to tease.

"Hold on a second." Jellal got up and left the room swiftly returning with a small cupcake that he placed in front of Meredy who smiled at him but her emerald eyes just weren't in it. "Thank you."

She stroked the lid of the box before pushing it closer to Jellal. "I think you'd rather take a look at this on your own. I believe Ultear left it at the Sabertooth guild hall. She must have had more time than we thought but not now…" Meredy trailed off. "There was something inside the box for me which I have taken and there was something for you too which I leave with you now." She stood up and fastened her red cloak around her shoulders.

"_Ultear _left it?! But I thought she had already…Do you know what it is?" Jellal asked.

Meredy closed her eyes and nodded her mouth a thin grim line. It was evident she was holding back more tears.

"It might shock you. It did me," she ushered and this time she let the tears slip down her face. Hastily she wiped them away. "I should get going I've to meet them at the sakura tree; we're going on a quest out in the mountains."

"I hope you don't run into any mushroom making maniacs," he said thinking back to his parody quest with the rest of Team Redemption.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll walk you there," he said getting to his feet and handing her the cake.

The night was cool and relaxing the perfect contrast to the fire of the loss in their hearts. The silver moon reflected off the river as Meredy walked along the edge precariously, just as Lucy once used to do.

"How is Cobra doing?" asked Meredy.

"He's brightened up Kinana's world, he's a new rival for Natsu's never ending list and a great addition to Team Redemption."

Meredy beamed. "I'm really happy to hear that. He never really fitted in with the rest of the Oracion Seis not that they were an organised bunch to begin with."

Jellal studied his friend for a moment. "You know sometimes I feel like I abandoned you Meredy. The offer will always stand for you to join Fairy Tail." His sincere words made the corner of her mouth turn up.

"Cobra is where he belongs with his loved one…and so are you. It was cruel for the two of you to be apart for so long. This is what Ultear wanted."

"She would have wanted me to take care of you too."

"I'm not a child," countered Meredy. "But I know you and Ultear liked to think of me as one. No. You and I need our space. We were stuck with each other for seven years. I'm sure that's enough of me to last you a lifetime." She jumped down off the edge and walked next to Jellal as they crossed a bridge.

"Are you happy Meredy? Truthfully?" he asked.

"I couldn't be happier. Well only if Ultear came back into my life."

They walked in silence for several moments.

"I hope you realise how you saved the lives of the Oracion Seis. Angel is reunited with Yukino, Midnight and Racer finally have a guild to call home and Cobra is in Fairy Tail. You amaze me Jellal." Meredy wasn't used to seeing him so happy_. _But then he went and ruined it as his old "atoning" self managed to slip through.

"Not everything I've done is something to be proud of." he muttered hanging his head.

Meredy shot him a withering look that could almost rival the great Titania's. "Don't you dare. Not after Ultear-"

"I'm sorry. I _have _moved on. It'll just take some time…for my head to switch off. I don't know if I'll ever be completely free Meredy. I still have nightmares. They haunt me almost every night."

Meredy hugged her friend close. "Your heart is free. Now you just need to free your mind," she said tapping his forehead. "Your loved ones will help you. You will live for your loved ones and I will live for mine. Juvia helped me to understand that."

The pair turned the corner and came to the large impressive sakura tree that was lit up with majestic colourful lights tonight. "They'll be meeting me here shortly," she said stuffing the remainder of her cake in her mouth.

"How's the search for Zeref going?" Meredy asked.

"I'm getting somewhere, but it's a slow process, easier now with the help of Fairy Tail. What about your search?"

"I haven't discovered much, but Sabertooth will be in touch as soon as we find anything."

"And so will Fairy Tail," replied Jellal just as he spotted two figures appearing in the distance. They were laughing and Jellal tapped his friend on the shoulder. Meredy waved over before turning back to him.

"What is in that box will shock you. It will. But listen, don't let her gift go to waste. For her sake. For my sake…For yours," she finished, before placing a quick kiss on his cheek and jogging over to the oak where her guild mates had now assembled underneath. Jellal recognised Sting and Rogue: the twin dragon slayers and they both had their exceeds with them. They nodded over at him in acknowledgment and he nodded back. As he watched his friend embrace them joyfully, Jellal wondered which of them Meredy was sweet for.

"Hey Jellal! Better get ready to face us the next Grand Magic Games! The new and improved Sabertooth will wipe the floor with Fairy Tail!" jeered Sting fist pumping the air.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Jellal let out a long laugh. "We'll just have to see about that!" Jellal called back, grinning. Sting made a dismissive outward hand gesture just as Rogue hesitantly reached over and took Meredy's hand in his own. Meredy linked her arms through his and rested her head on the shadow dragon slayer's shoulder, waving back at Jellal with her other hand.

_Well that solves one mystery _thought Jellal as he waved over before they all turned disappearing into the night. Jellal was slightly taken aback that Meredy felt no hostility towards Rogue considering the role his future self played in Ultear's fate. But then again, this Rogue was a completely different person. Jellal felt proud of Meredy that she was able to look past all that pain to see the real Rogue. Who had the right to condemn Rogue anyway for his future actions that weren't his fault, anymore than Jellal should be held accountable for his past actions that weren't his fault either? There was no doubt in Jellal's mind now that Rogue could ever turn into the monster that had plagued their future. There was no way Meredy would let him stray from the path of light.

Jellal was feeling weirdly protective of Meredy all of a sudden. He laughed at himself as he walked back to his apartment in high spirits before he remembered Ultear's mysterious box was awaiting his eventual return…


	10. Ch10 Once Upon An Arc Of Time part 2

Once Upon An Arc Of Time part 2

Kneeling down in front of the box, Jellal ran his fingers along the flat surface simply delaying the inevitable. Bracing himself he flipped the golden latch and opened the box. Inside there was a folded note and a large green incandescent orb.

_Oh Ultear what on Earthland have you done? _Thought Jellal lifting out the note. He began to read:

* * *

_Dear Jellal_

_I know I have already said my goodbyes in a letter but I had more time than I realised. I still do not wish for the two of you however to see me as I am, because I'd much prefer you remembered me as I was, hence why I left this discreetly (Old and frail is not a good look for me.) I have already written my letter to my dear beloved Meredy and now it is your turn._

_Words cannot express how sorry I am for everything I put you through. Despite the living nightmare I forced you to endure you were a good friend to me. You were more than that, you were a comrade I'm just not good at the mushy stuff. You somehow found it in your heart to forgive me which made it worse as it made me realise just how I had destroyed everything for you._

_I wanted you and Meredy to know that I regret nothing. Of course I regret my entire life but what I mean is that this final act-my sacrifice for everyone was the best thing I have ever done in my life. I'd like to think it was taking in Meredy, but it was I who ruined her life to begin with. I'm corrupted at heart no matter what I do._

_Now I will get to the point before I run out of time finishing this letter._

_By helping Meredy, Gray and now you, I hope I can have a sliver of redemption for my destruction. Jellal…I took away many years of your life. Years that should have been filled with joy and happiness but instead I filled them with insanity, darkness and despair. I know you and I know you will not want to accept what I'm going to give you, but it is not a request nor an offering. I implore you. I command you to take my gift or I will just have to haunt you perpetually until you eventually do take it._

_I managed to scrape together four years. I can give you back four whole years of your life Jellal to share with Erza and the rest of your guild. It's not ideal, but a three year gap is better than seven with your childhood sweetheart. I'm just sorry I can't give more._

_I am happy to hear you listened to me and did as I instructed by using me as an alibi to evade the council and finally join Fairy Tail. You should have been there all along._

_Look out for Gray and Meredy for me. I reckon after I write this letter I'll have a few days to get this to you. Goodness I hope this gets to you Jellal. I really hope this gets to you. I can rest easy as long as you take my parting gift - my sacrifice for you. Please…_

_Best wishes and live on_

_Ultear_

_PS Hold the orb in both hands and stare into it. You'll know when it's working. Don't worry you will look exactly the same afterwards. It will hurt but trust me. Physical pain is nothing right?_

* * *

Jellal didn't even register he was crying until a single silent tear crept up on him and hit the paper smudging the ink slightly. He lay down on the floor with the note to his chest, his mind whirling with the implications. He stayed like that as the world kept on spinning until he heard someone knock on his door, causing him to sit up.

"Come in, it's opened."

Lucy came into view with Juvia and Wendy at her heels.

"The others will be here in a second. Apparently the door just isn't good enough for them," said Lucy rolling her eyes. Sure enough several seconds later Erza, Gray and Natsu appeared in the apartment, which was still a secret to both Lucy and Jellal of how they accomplished this annoying feat.

"Jellal…Mira and Juvia told us something is wrong," stated Erza frowning.

"What the heck is that!" proclaimed Natsu pointing at Ultear's box. Jellal sighed and rubbed his temples.

"It's from Ultear."

Gray flinched. "Ultear? But I thought-"

"She had a little more time than she anticipated," Jellal answered his voice grave. "She had four years left…and she gave them to me."

Everyone gasped.

With widened eyes Gray spotted the letter in Jellal's hand.

"Can I see that?" he asked his voice wavering.

"Gray! It could be personal!" squeaked Wendy.

"No, It's alright. Here." He handed the ice mage the letter who immediately began to assiduously read. His breath caught upon reading the part about himself. Gently he returned the letter to Jellal.

"Like mother like daughter," Gray mumbled so low he almost wasn't heard. "I-I'm sorry," he blurted and hastily left the room with his eyes cast downward.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia swiftly ran after him just as Erza took the letter from Jellal and began to read it in trepidation. Eyes glistening, Lucy bent down and gently touched Jellal's arm.

"What do you mean she _gave _you four years?"

"It means, Lucy," Erza began, looking up from the letter. "That Ultear had four more years left to live after…she saved Gray's life. But she gave those years to Jellal instead." Erza sounded so strong her emotional armour had been equipped. She knew this would not bode well with Jellal…he still didn't completely think he deserved anything from anyone.

Wendy's hands flew to her face before she flung her arms around Jellal, crushing him in a hug.

"Is that what the freaky orb is?" asked Natsu.

"Yes."

"That'll hurt won't it. It hurt when Ultear gave us the power to make up for our lost training," sniffed Wendy.

"Physical pain is nothing," whispered Jellal echoing Ultear's ghostly words, and only Erza picked up on it having read the letter.

"You have to take it though right? You can't turn that down. That would make her selfless sacrifice pointless," avowed Lucy looking firstly at Jellal then over at Erza who had her eyes closed with the letter hanging limply by her side. Lucy stood up and took Wendy's hand. They both left the apartment holding onto each other. Erza felt someone put their hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Natsu.

"I'll leave you to deal with this. Ultear is a hero. She needs a hero's send off." Natsu squeezed Erza's shoulder. Natsu could go from hot-headed to level-headed in the blink of an eye sometimes, when it mattered the most. Brash? Yes. Stupid? No. Natsu was not stupid prior to contrary belief.

With that the salamander departed, jumping from the balcony leaving Jellal and Erza alone.

They could hear the wind howling outside like an incessant banshee. Without saying a word Erza knelt down and placed a hand on one side of Jellal's dolorous face and rested her forehead delicately against his.

"Erza…" he sighed. "I can't believe she…I can't take what she's-"

"Yes you can." Erza interrupted surprising both Jellal and herself.

"What I mean is that only you can make this decision but Lucy was right that not using this would render Ultear's sacrifice superficial. Don't think for a second that the fact that we aren't the same age anymore bothers me, so don't let that influence your decision. I love you regardless, but you deserve those years back. I think it's going to hurt though, but I'll be here."

Jellal kissed the hand Erza currently had against his cheek before taking it into his own hands.

"Okay." He held it for several moments before he let go and reached across into the box to retrieve the incandescent green orb. Holding it in one hand he turned to Erza.

"This might get ugly you may want to leave," he suggested.

"You are kidding aren't you."

Jellal smiled closing his eyes, mentally preparing himself for something he knew he couldn't really prepare himself for. He grasped the orb in both hands, slowly breathed out and opened his eyes gazing into the orb as the mist inside danced ominously. Nothing happened for several heartbeats, until Jellal felt his hands turn instantly hot like he was dipping his hands in lava.

Pain.

Pain seared from his wrists to his neck and then encircled throughout his entire body. Gritting his teeth he held onto the orb but when it suddenly turned from a soothing green to a vibrant orange, intense pain wracked Jellal making him feel like he was burning alive from the inside out. Still he held on, internally screaming as Erza watched unable to support him for fear of getting in the way of such powerful magic. She was horrifically reminded of when he was being tortured at the Tower Of Heaven all those years ago. As the orb glowed increasingly brighter Erza shielded her eyes as the light diminished from the orb and shot into Jellal's body. Involuntarily, Jellal threw back his head and shrieked, the now empty orb rolled harmlessly away. Jellal felt like his very bones were simultaneously shattering into pieces.

This was nothing like when Ultear gave everyone a boost in power before the games. This looked like endless torture and when he began convulsing on the ground; terrifying orange markings all over his skin, Erza could sit by no longer and jerked forward wrapping her arms around him protectively. He cried out as the markings brightened once more, causing Erza to tighten her grip on him. Erza was beginning to think that this had been a terrible mistake when the marks faded into his skin and he fell limply against her.

"Jellal?" She said quickly. There was no answer.

"Jellal!" she immediately had a horrible flashback to her nightmare from a few weeks ago and felt her heart constrict in her chest. She was fumbling for a pulse when he mumbled something incomprehensible. Erza laughed slightly hysterical at this point.

"Piece of cake," he murmured again louder for Erza to hear. She crushed her lips against his. Pulling away, Erza grabbed his chin and began inspecting his face.

"I'm fine," he smiled with relief but Erza wasn't satisfied. She pulled off his top to check his torso and back. When she discovered no visible wounds and the eerie symbols were gone she relaxed against his shoulder and touched his scarlet Fairy Tail emblem that was now on show.

"Don't ever do that again," she sighed.

He scoffed. "You don't need to worry about that."

"Do you feel any different?"

"Honestly I feel the same."

"It better have worked after all that."

The orb that had rolled into the corner began to glow once more, only this time it turned a faint purple. Erza and Jellal shared a look before they moved over to inspect it.


	11. Ch11 Once Upon An Arc Of Time part 3

**Thanks to MayeLamker, Ash Lite, zrazarud, ephemeralstorm, Candied Snowflakes, Ajerzaaddict ****for your reviews :)**

**When you read do you ever listen to music? I think sometimes it really heightens the experience. ****For this chapter any of the sad Fairy Tail songs would work but maybe you could try ****Up Soundtrack-The Ellie Badge ****up until Jellal's flashback?**

* * *

Once Upon An Arc Of Time part 3

Warily Jellal bent down, as he inspected the orb without laying a finger on it.

"Maybe we shouldn't touch it again-"

Without hesitating Erza reached out and held it in her armoured hand.

"-or you know, just go ahead and touch it. Why not? I mean-"

"Be quiet!" Erza hushed, punching his arm, just as a single crack split through the centre of the orb and a gust of wind shot out of it causing the pages of every open book to flutter and bits of stray paper to fly around the room like soaring doves.

"_Thank you," _the wind seemed to whisper softly in their ears. "_Stay safe." _

More cracks suddenly spread across the orb, until it dissolved completely in Erza's hand. The wind swiftly danced in and caught the pile of dust up into a breathtaking purple whirlwind, that swirled around their heads, assiduously playing with their hair and illuminating the entire apartment with radiant lilac light. Eventually, it all swept out to the balcony, the dust moving like a silky ribbon twirling through the air. Jellal and Erza moved to follow it and they watched as it flew up into the velvet black sky, the stars and the moon the only other witnesses. Erza clasped Jellal's hand as they watched it all float up to the glorious full moon.

"Farewell Ultear…" Jellal breathed.

Erza wrapped her arm around Jellal's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that until every last glimmer of purple had disappeared into the night and then a while after that. Erza wasn't going to ask him if he was alright. She knew he wasn't.

As time passed, a dark cloud came and shrouded over the moon, along with the majority of the gleaming stars.

"I hope she's happier now wherever she is," said Jellal finally putting an end to the silence.

"Well, if that was anything to go by, I'd say she's pretty happy," replied Erza standing up straight and lifting her head from his shoulder. He leaned on the balcony railing with his hands clasped together.

"I forgave her a long time ago, but she never forgave herself. She perpetually tortured herself with the pain of the past instead of looking forward to the future."

Erza wracked her brain for something to say. Something to take his mind of the situation.

"You never did tell me how Ultear and Meredy broke you out of prison," she said triggering a small smile lit up his face.

"No I guess I didn't. I just told the council so that they could make sure it didn't happen again," he responded with a soft laugh which trailed off.

"I haven't told you because although it has a happy ending, it doesn't particularly have a very happy beginning."

Erza glimmered golden as she reequipped out of her Heart Kreuz armour into a salmon pink dress and leaned on the balcony railing beside him.

"And who in Fairy Tail has a happy beginning?"

Jellal smiled and looked up at the infinite sky.

"I was still in prison when I heard about what happened to everyone on Tenrou Island and I really did just…fade away then. Life had no meaning after that, while I sat with nothing but my own thoughts. I lost my will to live sitting in that cell…"

* * *

_Jellal had his back to the wall, with his head hanging limply, when a plate of food was apathetically thrown into his prison of magic sealing stone. He didn't bother to look up. He could hear the guards discussing something, just outside but Jellal had learned to block out all their pointless trivia. At the mention of Fairy Tail they suddenly had his full undivided attention._

"_Yeah the whole island," He snapped his fingers, "gone just like that."_

"_The entire island? How could an entire island just be annihilated?"_

"_They're saying it was a dragon. Took out the whole guild."_

"_A dragon!?" The second guard recoiled._

"_Yeah no survivors. Guess we won't be hearing from Fairy Tail anytime soon," the guard laughed perniciously, and the ugly cackle boiled Jellal's blood._

_No survivors, rang in Jellal's ears like a nightmarish echo._

_No that couldn't be…Erza…Natsu…Wendy…_

_Jellal felt it like a knife to the gut._

"_Hey, Siegrain-"_

"_It's Jellal you idiot!" His colleague snapped, correcting him._

"_Old habit," he responded with a toothy grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "Weren't you chummy with those troublemakers?"_

_Jellal's head snapped up his eyes blazing like double suns. The pair of guards looked at each other and sniggered before the reptile with purple scaly skin called Nadal took a step closer to Jellal's cell, a sneer stretched across his amused features._

"_That's what they get for associating with the likes of you," he taunted and his words twisted the knife already lodged in Jellal's gut. Like he had so many times before, Nadal pushed his wooden staff through the transparent blue wall and grinned from ear to ear as he zapped Jellal, laughing manically while he did it._

"_N-Nadal! You shouldn't do that!" The other guard cried but Nadal continued to torture Jellal as the power from his staff intensified, however Jellal would not give him the satisfaction and grit his teeth together._

"_I won't stop until I hear him squeal!" He hissed as he enhanced the blast. Jellal eventually yelled as it hit its optimum power. When the torrent of pain ceased Jellal collapsed to his knees breathing raggedly. Satisfied he had done some damage both emotionally and physically, Nadal turned and took his leave; his colleague following close behind._

_A deafening silence._

_A silence broken only by the sound of Jellal's blood rushing in his ears and the incessant voices murmuring in his head. He gripped his hair with both hands and curled into a ball._

_It was the colour of your hair._

_Erza._

_He could have sworn that he had heard her voice before when she was on the island. Her opponent was strong but she had been victorious he was sure. Maybe he hadn't heard her at all and it was just his frazzled mind playing tricks._

_He tried reaching out to her now, but all he could sense was a hollow feeling of emptiness._

_The fragile walls that Jellal had managed to precariously hold up crumbled. The only thing keeping him grounded was gone. _

_Jellal slipped into deep despair._

* * *

Erza nudged his shoulder and he looked up as the memory dissolved. She was holding two cupcakes in her hands and she held one out to him.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Jellal took it off her and noticed that there was a tear in the corner of her left eye.

"They should never have treated you like-"

"Erza it's fine-"

"It is not! I will be having words with the council!" she shouted.

Jellal balanced the cupcake on the railing and clutched both her arms and looked straight into her fiery eyes.

"Please don't. What's done is done and I…don't want them having second thoughts about freeing me," he admitted.

Erza face momentarily softened but then darkened again.

"If they tried to take you away again, they'd have the strongest guild in Fiore to deal with," Erza stated and Jellal hugged her.

"Not to mention Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus and..."

"Okay I get it. Thank you," he smiled and bit into his cupcake that Erza had seemingly pulled from midair.

"Please continue but don't skirt over any details now," she instructed and Jellal nodded.

"I was in there a year after the destruction of Tenrou Island..."

* * *

"_He's not eating. Should we do something?" asked a guard pointing to the piles of untouched food littered around Jellal's cell._

"_No. If he wants to rebel, that's his choice. He'll eat it eventually, just don't let anyone give him more." _

_The guard nodded and stared at the blue haired man in the cell block._

"_He's not what I thought he'd be."_

"_What are you on about?"_

"_He's not imposing or cursing at the world or vowing to kill us all. I dunno I just thought he'd be more…well evil."_

_The other guard folded his arms. "He's being creepy that's what he's doing. He's just in a huff because he's in there rather than out wreaking havoc. Don't go feeling sorry for criminals like him. Especially ones like him," replied the other guard._

"_Hey what's that on your wrist?" he asked all of a sudden with a snigger causing the other guard to look down at his arm, only to find a mysterious glowing pink bracelet with a love heart in the middle. _

"_What the-? Hey you have one too!" he exclaimed. His companion tried to pull it off only to find that it was engraved onto their skin._

"_What's the meaning of this?"_

_Jellal finally lifted his head to see the spectacle before him._

_Suddenly the guard had his hand on his head, as he swayed on his feet._

"_Something's not…something's not right," he slurred as he wobbled on his feet, before falling over face first._

"_Hey! We need-" the second guard slumped over almost falling off the platform. The criminals up above were all pressed up against the transparent walls of their cells and their reactions ranged from confused to wicked delight. Jellal remained on the floor, looking on with a glaze over his once bright eyes._

_Another two mages came hurrying over to inspect what was going on. The guard with scaly green skin knelt down and inspected their arm._

"_They have these glowing things on their wrists!" he announced to his partner. "Quickly get-" he was interrupted as _Nadal came hovering over.

"_What is this?! Sleeping on the job? Ooooh they'll lose their jobs for this!" he charged towards them. The guard with the green skin held up his hands in defence._

"_No sir, there's magic involved! We may have a breach." Nadal pointed to both the guard's wrist as the very same bracelet suddenly appeared on them. The duo shrieked in alarm but Nadal remained perfectly calm._

"_Don't fret, we've had this happen before. We almost have the culprit apprehended. Just take this, it'll counterattack the spell," Nadal instructed as he gave them both a pill and without hesitating they swallowed them._

"_Thanks Nadal, you're a real-" the guard with the green skin's step faltered and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, but Nadal steadied him before he fell off the platform. His companion crumpled on top of him. Without so much as a blink, Nadal stepped over them and moved towards Jellal._

_Has Nadal finally snapped? Jellal thought. __He decided that Nadal just must finally want to kill him. And Jellal was going to let him._

_Just then another Nadal came up from inspecting the prisoners below._

"_Where is everybody-" he flinched upon spotting his doppelganger, but he swiftly snapped out of his stupefied stated and fired from his wooden staff. A green orb appeared in front of the imposter and seemed to absorb the attack. Numerous orbs materialised and homed in on Nadal, in a devastating assault, causing him to fall unconscious instantaneously, when they impacted._

_The prisoners were cheering but their jovial exalts were muffled due to the magic sealing confinements they were all in._

_The doppelganger's image wavered and glistened before giving off a blinding white light. Nadal disappeared and instead a woman with long dark hair with a purple tint stood in his place. He knew her. The Tower of Heaven. Torture. __Council. _

_Ultear._

_ A young girl with pink hair and a red cloak came skidding in behind her._

"_Hurry!" she implored. "I've got your back."_

_Ultear placed her hand on the transparent wall of Jellal's solitary confinement._

"_Be ready to grab him Meredy; I can put this cell back in time but not for long because it's going to resist."_

_Resist? Thought Jellal. Magic wasn't supposed to work at all on the transparent stone cells._

_The stone confining Jellal suddenly vanished and Meredy darted in and grabbed his arm and tugged but Jellal didn't move a muscle._

"_No…" he murmured. "What do you want…just leave me…"_

_Meredy looked stricken. "Ultear!" panicked Meredy._

_Ultear began to strain as the stone slowly began reappearing back into existence._

"_Ultear! He's not budging!" shrieked Meredy still yanking on his arm._

"_You…" he murmured._

"_Jellal listen to me! We have to go right now! Explanations can come later, just move or we'll all end up in there with you!" pleaded Ultear as the cell had almost solidified once more._

_In that moment he let himself think of a certain scarlet haired mage and what she would say._

_Adrenaline shot through Jellal and he moved, causing Meredy to trip over due to his unexpected jolt. Jellal grabbed her and they made it out just as the cell reappeared. _

_Ultear sighed heavily in relief but wasted no time as she turned to face the nearest wall. Lifting her palm, she made a section of the wall suddenly fade to a time before the wall existed. _

_Jellal felt light-headed, his muscles were weak, and he regretted not eating properly. His magic power abruptly came flooding back after it being subdued for so long and the result was utterly draining. He stumbled but Meredy supported him, struggling underneath his weight._

"_Ultear! Help!" She squeaked._

_Ultear took Jellal's other arm and slung it over her shoulder before they moved to the large hole in the wall._

"_Give me strength mother," Ultear muttered as she made a bridge of breathtaking purple ice adorned with roses spread out before them. As they walked across it at the same time Ultear destroyed the path behind them so that no one could follow. The three of them escaped into the night the moon hanging over them like a watchful protector. _

_Deep in the mountains Meredy was seeing to their camp fire as Jellal sat across from Ultear giving her a vigilant look. Ultear eventually sighed and with her back to Meredy stood in front of Jellal manipulating the energy in her palm and created a sword, which she placed in the hands of the now incredulous Jellal._

"_It was me who destroyed your life. I am the one to blame for every atrocity you have ever committed. I think you have already worked that out though. I understand if you desire revenge. The things I have done…cannot be simply brushed aside with a mere jailbreak. I understand if you wish to end my life, if it will bring you peace, but please find somewhere for Meredy to take refuge," she looked like she wanted to say much more but she cast her eyes downward and took a shaky breath in. _

_Almost immediately after, she felt the sword clatter at her feet and lifted her head to see Jellal who was now standing with his fists clenched by his sides, his eyes seemingly piercing her soul._

"_If peace can only come through killing someone…then I don't want it," he vowed._

_Ultear gaped and quickly dispelled the sword. They stood awkwardly before Ultear looked up at the relaxing night sky._

_"I have always cursed my own life. The anger, anxiety and hatred I couldn't suppress. However, now whenever I stop and gaze up at the sky... I realise just how small I am in the larger scale of things. There is an endless world spreading before me," Ultear confessed._

"_Then why don't we rid the endless world of darkness?" Jellal suggested reaching over and offering her his hand. Ultear stared at it in shock for several moments before she took it and Meredy came back with bowls of soup and a huge grin painted on her small face. As they ate their soup Ultear kept staring up at the moon._

* * *

The dark clouds that had temporarily shrouded the moon, moved and its full glory shone through once more.

"Thank you for telling me that," said Erza. "I'm sorry to remind you of all that you went through in prison. I just wanted to know, so now I don't feel as if... we were apart," Erza admitted slightly embarrassed at how cheesy that sounded after what he had just finally opened up about and how dark it got.

"No I should have told you sooner. Ultear always blamed herself for ruining my life but she never once dwelled on the fact that she also _saved_ it. She let the bad outweigh the good. She helped me to stop suffering because I looked at her and just thought that…that must be how you saw me Erza. I didn't want to hurt you anymore than I already had," said Jellal and Erza squeezed his hand.

"I want everyone to remember her for the good in her heart," declared Jellal softly. Erza thought for a second, before replying.

"And so they shall. Wait right here," she vaulted over the balcony and vanished. Jellal could only imagine what she had up her sleeve. In her absence he looked up at the moon, in memory of his dear friend.

In no time at all Erza swiftly returned, climbing back up over the balcony and stood next to him, without saying a word.

"Erza, what are you do-"

She glistened golden as she reequipped, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Farewell Fairy Tail Armour," Erza announced as she stood in a victorious armour with a billowing maroon cape and a long white skirt, that reached down past Erza's ankles. The upper plates, looked like majestic feathery wings as did the head gear. She reached out and took Jellal's hand and in the other she held a tall spear decorated with the Fairy Tail symbol and a laurel wreath tied by two ribbons that she lifted into the air.

"Farewell Ultear," said Erza. "Even if we walk different paths, one must always live on as strong as you are able! You must never treat your own life as something insignificant! That means to treat everyday like it was going to be your last day in this world! You must never forget the friends you love for as long as you live! Treasure them always," Erza finished her slightly altered Fairy Tail farewell, and Jellal felt a lump forming at the back of his throat.

"Begin the Fairy Tail Farewell Ceremony!"

"_Aye_!"

Jellal heard a chorus of voices from below and suddenly fireballs shot into the sky exploding in rapid succession, followed by bursts of turquoise ice and gold beams of light. Jellal quickly looked over the balcony to see Natsu, Gray and Lucy. Behind them stood Wendy, Juvia, Gajeel, Cobra and Kinana. Shadow Gear, the Raijinshu, the Strauss siblings, the exceeds, Cana, Macao, Romeo and Wakaba. Even Makarov. Jellal felt his eyes water.

_Treat everyday like it was going to be your last day in this world. _That's exactly what Jellal was going to do with the gift that Ultear had bestowed upon him.

In the mountains Meredy was tending to the fire making some soup as Sting and Rogue sat across from her. She was feeling a little sense of déjà vu. Just then she heard the booming sound of fireworks and looked up to see vibrant bursts of colour: red, blue and gold explode in the sky.

Meredy smiled.

* * *

**That's enough despair now ^_^**

**It's not Nadal the tennis player but the Nadal from the episode when Asuma fought Erza XD If you still can't recall who it is definitely look up the scene online. It's the guy that decides to torture Jellal who looks like a lizard.**

**Thanks for reading *****Fairy Tail Salute***

**I really do miss Ultear, it would have been great if she could have been saved...but... *sigh* Some of you might be disappointed with Ultear's fate but I'm going with Hiro Mashima's decision. **

**I wrote a one-shot called "I Believe In You" which was cut from "Free Fernandes" if any of you are interested you could check that out if you get the time it isn't long.**

******NOW IT'S S-CLASS TRIAL TIME! SEE YOU ALL THEN! ;)**

**Next Time: "Heavenly Lightning Trials"**


	12. Ch12 Heavenly Lightning Trials part 1

**✿Thanks to Ajerzaaddict, Ash Lite, MayeLamker, Thunder Explosion, Candied Snowflakes, ephemeralstorm, Babylovebug18 for taking the time to leave reviews on the previous chapter. And the guest whoever you are it's still appreciated even if I can't thank you properly :)**

* * *

Heavenly Lightning Trials part 1

The sound of bells ringing spread across Magnolia.

"_Magnolia will now change to Gildarts shift! Residents please move to the designated areas!" _

Lucy was just about to enter the guild with Erza when they heard the announcement and they turned to see Magnolia begin to rumble.

"Gildarts is finally back!" cried Lucy just as the guild doors burst open and Natsu stood laughing with blazing fire dancing in his eyes.

"Duh Lucy!" quipped Natsu still laughing with the prospect of fighting Gildarts now that he was stronger after the Grand Magic Games. A vein pulsed in Lucy's head and she whirled round giving him an infamous 'Lucy kick,' shoving him back through the doors into the guild. "Don't condescend me!" she shouted and Erza smiled approvingly, before stepping into the raucous inside.

It wasn't long before the doors swung open and there was the man of the hour; trademark long tattered black coat and all.

"GILDARTS!" The guild cheered in unison and he grinned at the exuberant welcome.

"HELLO STRONGEST GUILD IN FIORE!" He yelled causing Fairy Tail to erupt into hollering chaos as he walked across the threshold with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Gildarts fight me!" Natsu dived at him with a flaming fist but Gildarts swiftly ducked, so instead Natsu went barrelling into Gray igniting another fight between the two.

"It's good to see everyone! Crazy as usual I see!"

Mirajane handed him a drink, as he sank down at the bar.

"You weren't gone as long this time Gildarts," she said with a heart-warming smile.

"Well the quest was easy this time…no barbaric dragon hah! And I had to come and see the winners of the Grand Magic Games after all! Actually speaking of dragons, I can't believe what you all went through. If only Cana used that card I gave her…Where is Cana? I need to congratulate her. Did you see her hit 9,999 on the Magic Power Finder?" He beamed, scanning around for his daughter.

"She went out drinking with Bacchus and the rest of Quatro Puppy- er I mean Quatro Cerberus- a few days ago and she hasn't came back yet. She's determined to out drink that Bacchus," chuckled Wakaba shaking his head before he registered the sudden deafening silence along with the deadpan looks of the rest of the guild. It slowly dawned on him what he had just done.

"Uh oh," said Wakaba as his pipe fell out of his mouth.

All eyes turned to Gildarts bracing for him to destroy the guild, as his was face devout of all emotion and he stood completely and utterly still. Suddenly he moved and everyone in the guild yelped, some even sprinted for the doors to escape their sealed fate. Instead Gildarts merely grinned and gave the shell-shocked Wakaba and Macao a thumbs up.

"That's my girl!" He announced proudly before downing the rest of his drink and then walked up the stairs.

"I'm going to go check in with Gramps." With that he disappeared on the second floor and the entire guild let out a unified breath of relief.

"For a minute there, I thought we were going to lose the guild hall again, after just getting it back too!" cried Macao as his head hit the table.

"The garden too!" added Romeo with a laugh.

That's when Jellal stepped into the guild confused at the haphazard state Magnolia was currently in.

A chorus of "JELLAL!" greeted him taking him aback at the extravagant welcome.

Laughing at his reaction Lucy and Erza beckoned him over and he complied with his long navy cloak swishing behind him.

"It's because Gildarts is back in town," explained Erza gesturing to the guild who were currently hollering and clanking glasses in the air. "Everyone is in high spirits…more so than usual."

"Ah, that'll explain the shift in Magnolia," Jellal replied. "I can't wait to meet the legendary Gildarts."

Kinana hurried into the guild.

"KINANA!" everyone hollered in way of greeting just as they did for Jellal and she smiled taking her space beside Mirajane behind the bar. "Sorry I'm late," she apologised. Not long after, Cobra slipped into the guild with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"COOOOOBRAAAAA!" The guild shrieked and the poison dragon slayer looked horrified.

His face was priceless.

* * *

Gildarts shut the door behind him and sauntered into Makarov's office.

"Gildarts, glad to see you back. You missed quite a bit," Makarov said in greeting.

"I think that's an understatement Gramps from what I've heard."

Makarov sweat-dropped. "You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork."

"That's why I ain't guild master aha!"

Makarov clenched his jaw and folded his arms at the dig.

"Anyway that time has since past and I'm sure the rest of the guild can fill you in on the events. I actually have some things I'd like to discuss with you on a different note. It's about Jellal and-"

"Jellal? Well it's about damn time he joined the family!" rejoiced Gildarts and Makarov smiled.

"Yes. Anyway as I was saying it's about Jellal and Laxus-"

"Ah, my competition. Do you want me to fight them to determine if I'm still the strongest?" interrupted Gildarts.

Makarov let out a long exasperated sigh before answering. "No I quite like Magnolia the way it is and I'm sure Fiore would be less off, if it was completely destroyed."

Gildarts shrugged nonchalantly. "Fair enough. Okay if not that, then what about them?"

"I'd like to promote them to S-Class."

Gildarts snorted. "You mean you haven't already? Are you crazy?"

"It's not that simple though, because if I make another S-Class trial it isn't fair throwing them into the mix; not when Natsu is so close to obtaining the rank. Laxus once had the title but it was stripped when I denounced him from the guild," Gildarts gave Makarov a smug look as he said that last part since it was Gildarts's doing that got his grandson back in the guild after all. Makarov didn't give Gildarts the satisfaction of telling him he was right and continued on.

"Jellal was once one of the Great Wizard Saints when he was in the Magic Council as Siegrain, although don't bring that up in front of him Gildarts, the boy has had a dark past." Gildarts was nodding as Makarov spoke a thoughtful expression painted across his features.

"They both are indubitably on par with Jura," Makarov stated and Gildarts raised his eyebrows.

"Stronger if you'd ask me," Makarov muttered under his breath. "There's no doubt in my mind that Jellal would have beaten Jura had his comrades not intercepted and Laxus actually did beat Jura, much to my utter shock at the time. Jellal took out the Oracion Seis single-handedly and Laxus took out Raven Tail with little effort on his own too."

"You want them to fight each other?" inquired Gildarts sceptically.

"Wha-? No! Again, I don't think that would be a good idea. We don't have Tenrou Island anymore and those two could easily destroy a town much like yourself," groaned Makarov.

"So…like challenges and trials?"

"Exactly. I propose we put them through events for the rest of the guild to watch."

"Why don't you just give them S-Class and cut out all the crap?" suggested Gildarts.

"Because if I do that, then they'll be an absolute uproar and everyone will want S-Class, but this is a special circumstance. The only exception," explained Makarov.

Gildarts chuckled and stood up. "Well I'm all for it. What exactly do you have planned?"

A devious grin spread across Makarov's features and suddenly Mavis appeared behind him and Gildarts's face visibly paled.

"F-f-irst Master Mavis?!" he cried and she smiled sweetly as if she wasn't a ghost standing before him.

"Hello Fifth Master Gildarts. We have epic things planned. Lots of epic things," and her adorable face beamed with the anticipation of the events to come.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, I know how annoying it is when someone interrupts me when I'm reading but is that _Dark Magic Within Us _by Irisea Maya Waters?" Levy asked her voice rising as she uttered the name of the author. Jellal smiled and placed the green hardback on the table.

"Yeah it is but I've already read it."

"I've read it three times!" shrilled Levy enthusiastically shaking her arms in front of her. "Lucy said she liked it but it's not the kind of book that deserves to be simply _liked_. It should be treasured and loved." Levy realised she was probably embarrassing herself and decided to just stop talking.

"You're right, I do think multiple readings is worth it because you pick up on all the subtle hints weaved throughout it about Thornelea's true guise," Jellal replied without batting an eyelid. Levy stared at him agape and blinked several times before launching into pure bookoholic mode. Surprisingly, Jellal was able to keep up with the passionate bookworm's vehement rambling and even managed to get a few words in edgewise himself. The eagerness of the listener quickens the tongue of the narrator after all.

"Hey Levy, Jellal, Gajeel," greeted Lucy with a wave.

"He's one of us!" announced Levy happily pointing at Jellal.

"Us?"

"A book lover!" Levy practically sang and Lucy beamed sitting herself down at the table.

"Oh jeez. Shrimp; Jelly; Blondie, I'm off. Later dorks," Gajeel said getting up to take his abrupt leave.

The doors crashed open and Cana and Bacchus staggered in.

"Wild!" she cheered lifting up a bottle and her other arm was slung around Bacchus's shoulders. They staggered in and Bacchus let her sink into a chair and fall asleep with her head on the table.

"Fairy Tail are wiiiiiiiiild!" he yelled before stumbling over to Erza.

"Hey Erza, fine babe as always," he slurred and Erza smiled.

"Bacchus, how have you been?" She asked politely and Jellal's jaw notably clenched.

Gajeel nudged Levy suddenly a lot more interested in the bookworm table. "Look at that. Jellal's jelly senses are tingling again. Isn't that right Jelly?"

"Why do you insist on calling me that!?"

"Oh kitty got claws," drawled Gajeel leaning across the table with a wicked grin. "Geehee."

"Do you think I'm just going to take that?" asked Jellal his face darkening almost to a certain red-headed mage's calibre.

"Yeah. I think you're always going to take it because you never get into fights, you'd rather just sit and talk books with a bunch of girls. Like a sissy," jested Gajeel folding his arms.

Jellal smiled. "You're trying to bait me and it's not going to work. I'm not such an imbecile who has to think with his fists," countered Jellal and Gajeel laughed.

"Throwing big words at me because you think I'll be impressed huh? 'Cause I'm not," stated Gajeel and Levy cringed and face palmed at how stupid and anti-climactic the iron dragon slayer's comeback was.

"And I'm not jealous. What on earthland gave you that impression?" Jellal asked.

Gajeel said nothing and merely pointed so Jellal turned to see Bacchus talking to Erza swaying on his feet like always before he put his hand on her shoulder. Jellal flinched and made a small strangled noise in his throat but swivelled back around restraining himself. Last time he actually punched Ichiya in the face and he wasn't about to repeat that with Bacchus.

"Erza is more than capable of taking care of herself," Jellal said tightly giving Gajeel a pointed look who shrugged seeing it was a losing battle and started talking with Levy.

Jellal snuck a quick glance behind him when Gajeel wasn't looking and grated his teeth together. That drunk had both his hands on either side of her shoulders, clearly invading her personal space but Erza continued to talk to him politely.

_Awww he's jealous _thought Lucy. _That is so cute._

"You know we never have had a fight Titania with a proper victor. We should change that," declared Bacchus.

"Yes a fight would be rewarding," replied Erza, but Bacchus leaned in a little close for comfort; bold even for Bacchus, so Erza became immediately wary.

"If I win I'll need a trophy," he slurred. "Got any seductress armours ready for me Erza?"

Erza scrunched up her face and pushed his head away with her armoured hand.

"I don't think so Bacchus," she stated with a vicious edge to her words just as there was a flash of heavenly light and Jellal stood in between Erza and the Quatro Cerberus mage.

"Hey there Bacchus my name's Jellal I don't think we've ever been introduced," Jellal spoke quickly through gritted teeth. Bacchus smirked with rosy cheeks, rocking back and forth before bending forward to Jellal. You could practically see sparks as they locked glares.

"Wiiiiiiiiilllld!" he shrieked and took a swing at him.

"What the-" Jellal ducked and using only two fingers, fired a small beam of heavenly magic, that caught Bacchus right in the face, crumpling him to the ground. He went to get back on his feet but slumped back on the floor giggling instead. His head lolled back and he went silent.

"Maybe Cana gave him a run for his money, because that was bold even for Bacchus," Laxus pointed out over from the Raijinshu table. "That was how he normally treats other woman but not Erza. He must be really drunk," The rest of the Raijinshu enthusiastically agreed with their almighty leader.

"Jellal Fernandes! Who told you to do that?" Erza shouted with her arms folded.

"What? I never even used my whole hand!" Jellal said in his defence.

Erza scowled trying to look annoyed but her eyes were laughing. "Not that…defending me. I don't need you to defend me all the time. Especially not from men."

Jellal sighed and his shoulder sagged as he walked over and lifted Bacchus up.

"I know and I'm sorry. This is something I must atone for-"

"STOP SAYING THAT WORD!" the entire guild seemed to shriek in unison and Jellal cringed slinging Bacchus's arm across his shoulders.

"Right, sorry. No more atoning," he smiled sheepishly as Erza tapped him on the back.

"Jellal. You can't be jealous of Bacchus - that's like the sun being jealous of a candle flame," Erza whispered quitely so that only he could hear and Jellal smiled but then grumbled under his breath, "I'm not jealous."

Jellal hoisted the unconscious mage higher on his back and Bacchus head slumped forward.

"I'm just going to take Bacchus here back to his guild," he announced and he didn't dare make eye contact with Gajeel. He. Did. Not. Dare.

Laxus rolled his eyes and intercepted Jellal. "I'll do it. It won't look as odd if I do it."

"This is my mess, so I'll fix it. I'll bring him back and apologise," replied Jellal.

"Would you relax? Every time you do something impulsive and _hell_-human you feel guilty about it and all this atoning shit comes back. Look we messed up in the past but dwelling on it won't help-"

"I know that," said Jellal irritably.

"Blue, just sit down have a drink-"

"Laxus it's fine," Jellal made to move around him but the lightning dragon slayer grabbed Bacchus's other dangling arm.

"In the amount of time you've been in this guild you've already strung more words together than Mystogan ever did," said Laxus.

"That'll be because he was walking around... with the face of a convict!" Jellal snapped that last part.

Natsu and Gray had finally stopped fighting to watch the odd pair argue. Mirajane had her eyes glued to the spectacle as well but continued to dry a glass and Erza was attempting to conceal her growing smile with her hand as she watched them. She had never seen Jellal like this…the Fairy Tail spirit wasn't half rubbing off on him. She wished she could subtly requip into a helmet to conceal her blush that no doubt matched her hair.

"Alright brats! Listen up! We've got an announcement to make!" Makarov and Gildarts came down from the upper floor and their eyes instantly fell upon the soon to be S-Class wizards. Bacchus was unconscious, slumped forwards upright on his knees and Jellal held his right arm and Laxus his left. They kept tugging him back and forth. Makarov's eyebrow twitched, and his eyes bugged out of his head as he watched two of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards bickering like an old married couple.

It was one of the strangest things Makarov had ever seen and it was also the first time Gildarts officially met Jellal.

* * *

**✿The set up for the S-Class Trials to come. Much more lighthearted than the previous few chapters :) I think Laxus and Jellal are hilarious rivals. If Laxus thought he had his hands full with Mystogan he's in for a real treat. Thanks for reading and a massive thank you to all the follows and favourites as well. Sorry for playing the jealous Jellal card again but jelly Jellal is so _kawaii. _All reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**Also I will not be shipping Mirajane with anyone in this story, but if you want some spotlight on Mirajane you could check out ephemeralstorm's "A Match For The Matchmaker."**

***Fairy Tail Salute***

**In the meantime maybe you could check out a little Jerza one-shot I wrote called "I Believe In You." :) It didn't fit into "Free Fernandes" so it became a separate one-shot.**


	13. Ch13 Heavenly Lightning Trials part 2

**Special thanks for reviews from ****JaZaHe****, j****erza0691****, ****Titania Eli, Babylovebug18, MayeLamker, Ajerzaaddict, ephemeralstorm, Candied Snowflakes, MrsPuppy, Dark Knight Jay and the mysterious guests :) **

**When you get to Jellal's special *cough* kick ass moment at the end I was listening to the Shadow of the Colossus OST which fitted extremely well.**

**ღ Happy reading ღ **

**-Eva**

* * *

Heavenly Lightning Trials part 2

Ichiya…Bacchus…oh sweet Mavis it was all true… he really was the jealous type. Jellal finally put his book down because it was no use; he just kept reading the same line over and over again, as his mind wandered.

He really was jelly Jellal.

He groaned and let his head fall into his hands. Next time he would just man up and leave Erza to it. She was Erza Titania Scarlet, for heavens sake, of course she would get weird attention, he was just going to have to learn to live with it. Erza could punch them all into oblivion anyway. He knew that.

He was in his apartment because in the end, neither he nor Laxus took Bacchus back to his guild - Gildarts did so Jellal had just decided to retire to his apartment early and not accept a quest in order to rest up for tomorrow.

_An S-Class Trial._

He couldn't believe it. He had tried to turn the offer down, of course, but the rest of the guild just about flayed him alive for nearly mentioning atone- the a word.

He was holding an empty mug and on his way into the living room he bent down under his desk and placed his hand on Ultear's wooden box. He patted the lid and smiled before walking into the living room and as he took a sip of his drink he almost sprayed it all over his apartment at the sight his eyes fell upon.

Erza, Natsu, Gray and Juvia sat around his coffee table while Gajeel was lounging across his sofa drooling. Cobra stood awkwardly in the corner with his arms folded.

Jellal's eyebrow twitched.

"Are you okay Jellal?" asked Lily and Jellal turned around to see the three exceeds playing cards. There was a knock at his door and Jellal walked over and answered it in a daze. It was Lucy and Wendy.

"Sorry Jellal. We didn't feel right breaking into your home," Lucy said scratching the back of her head.

"It's…okay. Come in."

"I'd offer you food or drinks but it seems you've already helped yourselves," Jellal sweat-dropped. Gajeel woke up from his slumber and slapped Jellal on the back, before slinging his arm around his shoulders.

"Congrats on the S-class thing. Geehee."

"When this is all over I think our team should fight yours! HAHAHAHA!" cried Natsu throwing his head back as flames surrounded his face.

"Idiot! Don't set fire to the apartment!" shrieked Lucy as Gray smacked him in the back of the head. Natsu was still spitting fire and laughing as he punched Gray in the face. A vein popped in Juvia's head and she sent a torrent of water at Natsu extinguishing his flames. Everyone turned to her shocked at her sudden audacity. Gray gave her a thumbs up and Juvia turned a brighter red than Erza's hair as she melted into the floor.

"You people are crazy," intoned Cobra rolling his eyes. "Your stupidity is deafening."

"Jellal tell us what the first trial involves tomorrow," commanded Erza putting down her cup.

Jellal sank into his couch and sat forward with his hands clasped.

"Sorry, but I've been sworn to secrecy. What I can tell you however, is that Blue Pegasus will be helping," Jellal informed not giving anything away.

"Oh come on! Spill!" Lucy grinned and Wendy eagerly nodded in agreement.

Jellal said nothing as he smirked and looked away.

Erza took a sip of her drink and smiled. "Don't waste your breath. He is one for following regulations and when he swears to something, he sticks by it," Erza took another sip. "In other words he's stubborn."

Jellal actually laughed and then his face sort of retreated back into itself like he wasn't used to laughing in front of so many people.

"Oh your laugh is adorable," admitted Lucy and immediately felt dark vibes coming from her left and she turned slowly to find that Erza was looking at her severely with a menacing purple aura.

"EEEEEEEHHHHhhh! Erza I-I-I just meant that he should do it more-" Lucy stammered suddenly regretting her seemingly harmless words.

Erza hadn't forgotten that when Lucy first joined Fairy Tail "Siegrain" was on her list of perfect boyfriends but what Lucy didn't realise was that Erza was now only winding her up. Juvia happily drank her tea as Lucy squirmed under the Titania's intense scrutiny.

"Ooooh Lucy liiiiiiiikes him! She likes Natsu _and _Loke _and _Gray _and _Jellal _and_-" Happy was sent skidding across the floor face first as Lucy kicked him with her face the shade of a tomato. She looked over to Natsu but he seemed oblivious to the whole situation as he tucked into a large chicken leg. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

"We got way of topic," Lily pointed out.

"I noticed," Cobra crumbled. "I can't even keep up." Wendy patted his arm sympathetically and he looked down at her.

"It's okay neither can I," she admitted with a smile.

Erza was still glaring at Lucy and Lucy was just about to attempt to speak when Erza's scowl completely vanished and a beaming one replaced it.

"I brought cake!" she grinned as yellow stars glistened in her eyes and Lucy released another sigh of relief when suddenly Virgo appeared on top of the table and struck a pose.

"Would you like to punish me princess?"

"JUST TELL US ABOUT THE FIRST TRIAL TOMORROW AND PUT AN END TO THIS MADNESS!" Gajeel shouted practically pleading as he pointed at Jellal.

Jellal was watching the chaos unfold and he had to admit he agreed with Cobra and Wendy.

He just couldn't keep up.

* * *

Rain poured down from the heavens, but that in no way, influenced the trial because it was taking place indoors. Blue Pegasus had let Makarov borrow their old building that they used for fashion shows as an arena, on the terms that they could watch the event also. The Pegasus Arena was packed as members from both guilds filled the seats and stands. Team Redemption and The Thunder God Tribe walked towards each other, both squads were escorting their leader. Jellal extended his hand to shake with Laxus but Laxus grabbed his head in a lock and messed his hair with his fist. Jellal pushed away not batting an eyelid and walked into the archway with Laxus following behind him, leaving behind their squads to face off with each other.

"It's not up for debate, just accept that the Raijinshu are stronger than you. Plus the three of you have no class," jibed Evergreen pushing up her glasses.

"Yeah? Well your squad doesn't have an exceed! So there!" countered Gajeel with a sneer.

"Why would we want a cat?" snapped Evergreen locking glares with Gajeel but iron shutters quickly covered his eyes before she could render him to stone and he grinned defiantly.

"Juvia wants to point out that Laxus is a dragon slayer so shouldn't he have an exceed?" inquired Juvia twisting the knife.

"Laxus and I aren't really dragon slayers though, we're second generation-" Cobra started but Gajeel whirled to look at him.

"We're trying to prove a point here Erik Elf Ears!" yelled Gajeel giving him a light shove.

"Don't call me that!" growled Cobra and a menacing red aura surrounded him as he faced off with Gajeel.

Jet spotted the confrontation from above as they were sitting in a different stand and pointed down below.

"Hey we should be in that dispute! Shadow Gear can take 'em! We're just as good!" Jet and Droy abruptly stood up but Levy cringed as she grabbed their wrists.

"Just sit down."

"Yes Levy," they replied in grim unison slumping back into their seats.

"HAHA! Your squad turns on each other! So the Raijinshu are victorious!" Bickslow cheered and his remark was followed by a chorus of "victorious" "victorious" as his babies floated around him. Cobra and Gajeel turned to him with identical raging death glares.

"They do realise that Laxus and Jellal aren't competing against each other right?" Gray pointed out as he Natsu, Erza and Lucy walked by.

"Leave them be," Erza replied.

"It's quite funny because I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but at this current moment in time we look like the most sophisticated team," Lucy said nudging Erza. The girls immediately whipped around to look at Natsu and Gray who were…just walking normally behind them. Natsu was holding a chilli dog in each hand and Gray was carrying drinks. Lucy was more than impressed that they weren't at each others throats by now. Erza leapt forward and stood in between them, lest they ruin this legendary moment while they moved past the quarrelling teams.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia called over waving but Gray did not wave back as his hands were full. She didn't seem to mind.

Wendy was with the exceeds in a front row seat up in the stands and Team Natsu sat beside them.

"I'm so excited!" squealed Wendy hugging Carla tightly, but the exceed didn't say anything as Wendy crushed her.

"I wonder what the master even has planned?" said Gray looking over at Makarov in the opposing stand who was with Bob the flamboyant master of Blue Pegasus, Gildarts and Ichiya who took the liberty of clicking his fingers and pointing over at them and flicking his bouncy auburn hair. They could see the glitter from all the way over here. Erza gave him a close-lipped smile that felt more like a wince. Team Redemption came up the stairs along with Kinana to join them and Juvia had brought her Team Redemption banner along with her again.

"I can hear destruction," Cobra announced. "There's something big tucked away back there."

Lucy's key began to glow brightly and suddenly Loke was sitting beside them.

"I don't want to miss this," he said and Gray gave him a fist bump.

Lucy winced. "Sorry Loke I should've summoned you."

"It's okay lovely Lucy…_I just don't get why you seem to summon Taurus more than me_," he grumbled and Lucy only picked up on the word "Taurus."

Before she could ask what he was on about the lights dimmed.

"Blue Pegasus and Fairy Tail!" Bob exclaimed. "I am delighted to have the fabulous Fairy Tail in our hospitality. The friendship between our two guilds is beautiful!" he cried clasping his hands under his chin. "Now I will hand you all over to my dear friend Makarov who will explain how this exciting event will play out!"

"Thank you for your warm welcome Blue Pegasus, it doesn't surprise me that you are such chivalrous hosts. Now on to why you are all here. Two members of Fairy Tail: Laxus Dreyar and Jellal Fernandes have the opportunity to obtain the rank of S-Class in this special exception to the usual trials we carry out. If both of them succeed in the tasks that lie ahead, then they will both be victorious and earn the rank. It is not a competition between the pair however, I feel the need to stress this," Makarov added and you could hear the crumbles from the Raijinshu.

Makarov continued. "Today is the first event of many and involves a battle with a blue wyvern. They must complete the task relatively quickly in order to succeed." The crowd cheered.

"The wyvern is quite a beast but on top of that they will firstly fight small flying creatures called surlests to get them warmed up. For any magical creature activists in the audience the surlests are lacrima projections but the blue wyvern is the real deal. In case you do not know, blue wyverns have pressure points they'll have to hit and once they hit all six the beast will submit."

The arena cheered but Natsu frowned.

"A wyvern? What a joke. Man I got my hopes up for nothing," huffed Natsu.

"Yeah but it's a blue wyvern-" began Lucy.

"Blue, red, yellow, green whatever a wyvern is a wyvern and it's boring. Those two will take it out in like two seconds," moaned Natsu.

"What if the first trial is just starting off small and then they'll get more impressive," suggested Juvia just as Makarov finished his speech with a twist that drastically changed things.

"And they will do this without using magic," he stated mischievously.

"…Or not," said Gajeel shrugging his shoulders at Juvia as Natsu grinned from ear to ear.

"Now that's what I'm talking about gramps!" Natsu hollered.

"How are they supposed to fight that thing without magic!?" shrieked Lucy turning to Erza who seemed deep in thought.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Erza replied unsure at what the two powerful wizards had planned.

"First up…LAXUS DREYAR!" introduced Gildarts as the lightning dragon slayer walked out into the arena with his signature coat hanging off his shoulders and the adoring crowd went crazy, but none cheered louder than the Raijinshu.

"Go for it Laxus!" shrieked Freed.

He strolled nonchalantly into the centre of the arena and stood as cheers turned to a hushed silence. Suddenly the flying surlests whizzed towards him and Laxus shrugged off his coat and thumped his fists together. He was wearing golden knuckle dusters. He whirled around and smashed the flying bug with his fist and the projection disappeared, as he ducked and swung at another and then another, not leaving any openings. He grabbed one that had launched itself towards him and ripped it into two. The green projection disintegrated and Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus cheered and stamped their feet.

Hibiki cringed. "I'm so glad we didn't have to go head to head with _him _at the Grand Magic Games."

The trimens breathed a unified sigh of relief as they watched Laxus crush another bug and then sent one barrelling into the others. One hit him in the back of the head and he hastily grabbed it and used it as makeshift weapon by spinning around in a circle and taking out the remaining creatures.

"The surlests are down!" Gildarts yelled stealing the lacrima mic from Makarov and more cheers erupted across the arena.

The ground began to shake at Laxus's feet as the blue wyvern stuck it's head out of the archway.

"Let's go you bastard," grinned Laxus cracking his neck as the wyvern stepped fully out into the arena, threw back its scaly head and roared. It was twice as big as a regular wyvern. Running forward Laxus caught it's knee cap in a right hook, smashing it in it's first pressure point, while it was still acting showy. Laxus never let his opponent finish before he attacked. Why wait?

He charged underneath and launched an uppercut into the black spot on its stomach and it screeched and tripped him up with his tail.

_Damn I just want to electrocute this guy _he thought as it grabbed him and threw him across the arena. A few surlests appeared and he dealt with them as he ran back and hit the beast on its other leg. He was half way there. The wyvern hadn't spread out its wings yet and Laxus picked up the pace because if it took off he had no idea how he could attack it while it was crazily flying about.

_I really just want to electrocute this guy. You just have to be so difficult don't you Gramps._

Laxus ducked, rolled, took out any frustrating surlests in his path and managed to hit two more pressure points, leaving the one on its head for last. It still hadn't taken to the air yet so Laxus manoeuvred his way up on it's back and stood tall and imposing on the blue wyvern's head taking his sweet time, relishing the crowds exuberant cheers. Joining his knuckle duster hands together Laxus brought both fists down on it's head. Once. Twice. Three times and the blue wyvern toppled to the side with a crash.

"That's our Laxus!" cried Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow throwing their arms into the air.

"The criteria has been met! Laxus has successfully completed the first trial. He didn't use magic and the wyvern and surlests have been defeated while he is still standing!" Gildarts bellowed. Makarov tried to take the microphone back off him but Gildarts pushed his face away. The blue wyvern groaned and got back up to its feet and some mages guided it back through the archway.

"Let's have a short interlude before our second contestant takes centre stage!" Gildarts announced. Makarov scowled at him and Gildarts adopted a transparently false _what me? _look.

"I was going to commentate," grumbled Makarov and Gildarts laughed.

"Nah Sixth, guild master number five has got this covered."

* * *

"Laxus is really amazing. What would have happened though if the wyvern started flying?" said Wendy in awe as she, Erza, Kinana and Lucy went to get some ice cream for the others.

"I guess he got lucky then," Lucy shrugged but Erza was looking out into the arena.

_How are you going do this without magic Jellal? _Erza wondered to herself.

_It's a surprise._

She heard his velvety voice echo in her head once again and she was taken aback. The telepathy issue again? They really had to get to the bottom of it because now it had happened three times. In her fight with Asuma; when she had that horrific nightmare and now this. Max, Laki and Warren were waiting in the queue for drinks and Erza saw her chance.

"Warren?" she asked and he turned around licking an ice-cream.

"Oh hey, what's up?"

"Is it possible to unknowingly speak telepathically with someone?" she inquired.

"Ah...are we talking about you here?"

"No...no just theoretically and besides the only telekinesis I possess is the ability to move my weapons."

"Well I can act as a conduit and allow two people to converse, if that's what you're asking."

"Not unless you did that only a few moments ago?" Erza inquired.

Warren frowned and licked his ice cream as it was melting down the sides of the cone.

"Nope…"

"Okay then, thanks for your time," said Erza with a courteous nod before giving Wendy, Lucy and Kinana a hand carrying the eleven cones back to everyone. They carried one in each hand and Erza put the remaining three into her armoury then they returned to their seats and handed them out. Wendy handed hers to Carla as Lucy gave one to Juvia who surprisingly did not shriek LOVE RIVAL in her face. Instead she simply took it, thanked her and handed her some jewels to which Lucy politely declined. Kinana blushed as she handed Cobra one and he awkwardly thanked her. Erza bent down and gave one to Lily; Happy who didn't want an ice cream was cheerfully munching on a fish. Natsu, Gray and Gajeel were still growling at each other but abruptly stopped when they realised they didn't have an ice cream.

"Hey…where's mine," demanded Gajeel with a slight whine creeping into his gravely voice and both Natsu and Gray looked equally crestfallen.

"Don't worry, I've got them," Erza replied calmly licking her strawberry cone as a glowing golden light appeared above Gray, Natsu and Gajeel and their faces instantly lit up. The ice cream appeared as mush on each of their laps and their faces turned to true grimaces of horror. Natsu quickly recovered, scooping it up into his palm and getting it all over his face. Gray attempted to freeze his back together and smirked. Gajeel on the other hand turned to Erza.

"Whadidya do that for?" he complained and Erza's face severely darkened and Gajeel flinched.

"What did you say," she asked with a vicious edge to her voice and the hairs on the back of Gajeel's neck stood on end.

"Nothing! Nothing!" he swiftly replied copying Natsu's lead and scooping the ice cream with his hand.

"Perhaps next time instead of fighting like insolent children, you could get up and go get it yourself," said Erza.

Kinana burst out laughing and nudged Cobra to try and get him to loosen up because he wasn't laughing, instead his face still looked perplexed.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You people are crazy," he muttered shaking his head.

* * *

"Our second challenger….JELLAL FERNANDES!" Gildarts announced and both guilds shrieked in anticipation.

Jellal walked out from the archway and audible gasps were heard throughout the audience as he entered the arena.

Jaws hit the floor.

Jellal had a dark grey scarf tied around the bottom half off his face which only drew attention to his bright blue hair and vivid red tattoo curled around his eye. The two end trails of the silky scarf swished behind him as he walked purposefully forward. He was suited up in a sleek black armour with dashes of gold and intricate patterns etched into the chest plate and gauntlets. There was a staff across his back and a sword sheathed in his belt.

Erza was speechless and her eyes just about popped out of her head.

Jellal stopped when he got to the centre and slowly pulled out his sword and it caught the light before he deftly swung it in front of him.

"Beautiful," Erza murmured and Lucy raised an eyebrow while Kinana giggled.

"Th-The sword! I-I was referring to the sword! The craftsmanship-it-it-it's flawless!" The Titania stammered defensively and Lucy grinned.

"Sure thing Erza."

The surlests launched themselves towards him and Jellal swiftly sliced through the first one and stabbed the next. The projections disintegrated all around him as he slashed through the flying creatures. He would dart to the side, attack, strike in one place and then another. He sliced through the air, countered then rolled. His movements flowed like water. He was fast even without meteor. One final surlest charged towards him and Jellal centred himself before throwing his sword through the air. It impaled the creature and the green projection disappeared upon impact.

"The surlests are down!"

Jovial applause and whistling erupted across the arena and behind his scarf Jellal smiled as he picked up his sword and sheathed it.

"Go Jellal!" cried Juvia just as Gajeel shrieked, "Go Jelly man!"

Just like before, the ground began to shake announcing the entrance of the blue wyvern, as its head appeared through the dark archway. The colossal blue wyvern roared and Jellal whipped out his staff before darting forward wasting no time and struck the wyvern in the back leg, hitting its first pressure point, he then followed it through by rolling and slamming his staff against the second pressure point in its other leg. The wyvern screeched in response and made to swipe at him with its tail prevented Jellal from getting to the point under its stomach. Dodging, Jellal dived to the side and rolled from out underneath the beast. The wyvern made to bite him and Jellal swiftly pushed away and watched how quickly the creature could swing its tail. Sprinting forward, Jellal moved towards the back of the creature and timed it. He skidded straight underneath the tail and hit the wyvern right in its blue stomach and whacked its third pressure point on its front leg on his way out. As Jellal leapt back to his feet and studied his opponent he heard it let out a frustrated roar.

_Two back legs, front leg and stomach dealt with. Now for the tail and head._

Jellal twirled his staff and ran full pelt at the wyvern, however, all of a sudden its wings snapped out and the audience gasped. Jellal threw himself forward while swiftly slinging his staff back across his back and whipped out his sword instead. As the wyvern pushed off the ground Jellal leapt through the air and managed to gain a purchase on its back. The audience yelped but there was special runes and guards up protecting them from harm. Jellal stabbed his sword down into its scaly back and found somewhere to wedge his sword as the wyvern soared and tried to shake him off.

_Tail or head first? _Jellal thought to himself.

Jellal's hair was whipping around as the wyvern continued to fly round in circles around the arena. He was closer to the tail so he waited for the creature to level out and began to steadily make his way down to the tail. He gripped the large scales tightly as the wyvern shrieked and flipped all the way around, almost throwing him off, but Jellal held on. He did the only thing he could. He continued climbing.

When he had closed the distance, with one hand still gripping the hilt of the sword jabbed into the wyvern, he grabbed his staff and swiftly smashed the fifth spot before him. Jellal thought he could hear the sounds of cheering but it was hard to make out over the frequent beats of the wyvern's wings and the blood rushing in his ears. All of a sudden the beast rolled through the air and Jellal was forced to hastily let go of his staff to grab onto his sword with both hands. The wyvern flipped completely upside down and Jellal was only clutching his sword hilt with one hand as the rest of him dangled precariously. He felt his grip loosening as his arm strained, but he grit his teeth and hoped the sword wouldn't dislodge itself. It was a long way down.

To Jellal's relief the wyvern eventually flipped back around and Jellal pulled out the sword and began the long perilous journey up to the head. Stabbing down Jellal saw a break in the scales and sank his sword into it, but the creature jerked causing Jellal to consequently lose his footing and he tumbled backwards. He frantically grasped for something to hold onto as he rolled and just as he nearly toppled off the side, he clutched a large jutting out scale. Taking his chances as the wyvern straightened out, Jellal ran straight across its back to get to his sword and made it just in time. The wyvern was just preparing itself to turn the corner of the arena so Jellal held his breath and went for it. He yanked out the sword and dashed madly up to the head. He was cutting it extremely close.

He didn't realise just how much he had everyone on the edge of their seats.

Diving forward Jellal struck the final pressure point on its head just as it tipped its right wing down. It abruptly lost momentum and crashed into the ground sending Jellal skidding across the arena at great speed. He tucked himself in to lessen the impact as he rolled, but his armour was protecting him from the worst of it. As the dust cleared Jellal staggered to his feet, clutching his arm as the unconscious wyvern lay immobilised before him.

Rapturous applause ignited throughout the audience as they all stood up and cheered.

"Well…that was…dramatic," acknowledged Gildarts. "Anyway, the criteria has been met! Jellal has successfully completed the first trial! He didn't use magic and the wyvern and surlests have been defeated in a quick enough time, while he is still standing! Both Jellal and Laxus have passed the first stage!"

Jellal lifted up his uninjured arm and punched the air in victory. Mages came out and ushered the blue wyvern back through the archway.

Jellal was just about to follow them but he turned around when he heard his guild mates calling for him.

"Where do you think you're going you idiot!?" Natsu cried as he ran towards him with Wendy and a large cluster of others. Wendy gently cradled Jellal's arm and he felt the bone straighten out and the pain ebbed away to nothing.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"Well you and Laxus were completely badass," stated Cana. "You might just need a drink after that."

"We need to get back to the guild and celebrate!" Macao cheered and there was a chorus of "aye!"

"Just let me go get out of this armour," Jellal told them as he walked down the tunnel.

He heard armoured footsteps following behind him and he smiled underneath his scarf before turning around.

"That was amazing," marvelled Erza.

"Not as amazing as fighting one hundred monsters single-handedly," countered Jellal.

"Hey," Erza said stepping towards him. "This is about you just now. Can you just enjoy being in the spotlight for once?" Erza teased softly pulling his scarf away from his mouth so it hung around his neck.

"When did you get so skilled with a blade? I know in the tower you could wield one, but wielding a blade and knowing how to dance with a blade are two entirely different things… and you danced with that blade," said Erza appreciatively.

"I had a lot of practise when you were gone. I figured the best way to honour you…would be to hone my skills with a blade," Jellal replied and Erza felt her lip quiver as her heart pounded but she hastily tried to cover it.

"I see…Your armour is breathtaking I was just as concerned about you as I was about that armour when you took that tumble. It's not like you can just requip and repair it," Erza teased running her hands along the intricate golden swirls on his raven-black armour.

"I'm glad you like it, I did _not_ want to let you down by wearing terrible armour," Jellal flashed her a smile and Erza returned it.

"Good luck with the rest of these trials Jellal…I can only see it getting crazier from here," Erza said and Jellal gently placed his hand under her chin.

"You did this at age fifteen…you've already set the bar."

"Yes that's true but my S-Class Trial was nothing like this. This one is…different," admitted Erza.

"Well I like change. Change has brought me happiness," said Jellal before leaning in and kissing her. Erza wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She broke away and let her forehead rest against his.

"You should wear armour more often," breathed Erza. "It suits you."

Jellal laughed and kissed her again.

* * *

**✿ANNOUNCEMENT✿**

**I am happy to announce that I am now taking suggestions :) ****If you have any ideas for a trial the illustrious Jellal and Laxus can face during this fun arc then just leave it after your review and it might get picked. I'm excited! The trial can be anywhere (staying in Fairy Tail world that is) It doesn't have to be in my Blue Pegasus Arena.**

** This one was fun to write, it really was I hope it was fun to read ;) I have some ideas for the next few trials but I've opened it up to you guys for suggestions as well as a thank you for coming so far and because I'm happy to share this adventure! I'd love to hear from fellow guildmates!**

**Thanks for reading and following along with the story. I know I made Jellal's a little more epic but come on the story is called "FREE FERNANDES" hehe.**

***Fairy Tail Salute***

**In the meantime maybe you could check out a little Jerza one-shot I wrote called "I Believe In You Erza." It didn't fit into "Free Fernandes" so it became a separate one-shot.**


	14. Ch14 Heavenly Lightning Trials part 3

******WHILE I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION CAN I PLEASE ASK YOU TO GO AND VOTE ON MY POLL ON MY PROFILE PAGE ABOUT MEREDY? I'M CONSIDERING SOME RE-WRITES.**

**Thanks to Ajerzaaddict, The Utterly Fabulous Z, Dark Knight Jay, jerza0691, Candied Snowflakes, Mystery Guest, ephemeralstorm, Mikasa-Chan, JaZaHe, MayeLamker for your reviews.**

**This trial stemmed from the suggestion from Dark Knight Jay who suggested a trial of the mind involving a maze and jerza0691 who suggested a trial involving intelligence. Mikasa-Chan also requested more Jerza moments.**

**This trial is more psychological and it turned out slightly different than I expected. This chapter is a long one so I hope you like it at least a little. I hope this long chapter compensates for the long wait. PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU ENJOY LEAVE A REVIEW I LOVE TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE READING THIS X**

**********ღ** Happy reading **ღ **

******-Eva**

* * *

Heavenly Lightning Trials part 3

The clouds looked almost unnaturally fluffy in the vibrant blue sky and the velvet patches of green grass seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance as Jellal stared out the window while the train whizzed along. A sudden despairing groan broke Jellal from his reverie as he looked at the seat across from him.

"Urgggh...buarfhhhmmm..." Natsu let out a string of almost strangling sounding noises as his head drooped against the window, longing to smash through it and jump out of the beast he was trapped within.

"Hang in there Natsu," encouraged Jellal just as Natsu thumped his head against the window beside him.

"Urrrrrgghhhhhhh-_oof_!"

Erza punched Natsu squarely in the gut and he fell unconscious onto her lap. A smile snuck out of Jellal's mouth but he tried to catch it, as next to him Lucy continued to scribble in her journal like this was a common occurrence. Jellal realised it must be for Team Natsu.

"Are you writing another short story Lucy?" asked Erza as Natsu snored on her lap. Lucy nodded.

"Just watching Jellal flying on the back of that blue wyvern a few days ago really inspired me to write a story!"

"Wow, I'm honoured," Jellal smiled. "Have you ever let anyone read your work?"

"N-no just Levy," mumbled Lucy turning bashful all of a sudden but then she pointed at Natsu. "And him but he didn't have permission!" she yelled.

"Hey where's my story Lucy?" inquired Gray folding his arms.

"Gray your clothes! We're on a train!"

"Aaarghh again?!" he yelled and Juvia swooned from just outside the cabin but only Jellal spotted her.

"I'm sure Lucy has written one for me," Erza asserted and Lucy grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course, you've actually inspired many Erza, you're strong, confident, beautiful and intelligent. You make the perfect heroine."

"Thank you Lucy. You do too," Erza replied with a smile.

Lucy smiled sheepishly and rubbed her arm. "Thanks Erza." They spotted hot steam rising from outside their train cabin and Lucy, Erza and Gray stared in confusion but Jellal merely sighed.

"Juvia come on in."

The cabin door slid open and Juvia seemed to hover in with her teeth grating heavily together as she sat down next to Gray.

"Juvia would make a good heroine too," she avowed nervously twisting her hands in her lap. "Right?"

Gray cringed but then cracked a smile. "Maybe the antagonist," he suggested and Juvia's eyes instantly watered. Jellal rubbed his temples and let loose a heavy sigh.

_That idiot is going to drown everyone on this train._

Juvia's face scrunched up as if she was about to burst into tears but Gray quickly grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey! Don't be so serious! I was kidding! _Kidding_! I think you'd be a great heroine! Eh... Strong, determined and uhmm…." His eyes seemed to dart around the entire cabin looking for a nice way to put it. "…loyal." he eventually finished, but when he looked up at her, she still looked like she was going to burst into tears, only now they were tears of joy.

She was definitely going to drown everyone.

Juvia squealed and wrapped her arms around Gray, practically choking him and he winced, but then Juvia met Jellal's eyes and remembered his advice about holding back. She composed herself and stood up placid faced much to Gray's complete and utter befuddlement.

"Thank you for the kind words Gray-sama. You would make an amazing hero too because you _are _a hero." Juvia nodded and left closing the cabin door behind her. Lucy's jaw hit the floor in shock and Gray's eyebrow continued to twitch but Erza was looking at Jellal's smug face. Lucy quickly cottoned on and nudged Jellal with her elbow.

"Is this your doing?" she whispered but Jellal merely shrugged in response.

Lucy studied him for a moment as he went back to staring out the window. He was acting like the shrink of Fairy Tail: reassuring Wendy, giving Juvia confidence, accepting Cobra into his team, making Erza smile…Lucy tapped her feathered quill against her cheek as her writer's mind went wild…It was almost like he was thinking…

_I was tortured and possessed for most of my life, now tell me about your problems? _

Lucy grinned from ear to ear and began assiduously scribbling her thoughts down.

Seemingly from thin air, Virgo appeared in between Lucy and Jellal. She peered over Lucy's shoulder as she wrote, there was almost sparks coming from the celestial spirit mage's page as she wrote so fast.

"Professor Fernandes was meticulous at his job because he was…"

Lucy yelped and hastily slammed the book shut as Virgo began reading it out loud.

"Virgo!" she shrilled as her cheeks flooded deep crimson.

Virgo bowed her head. "Sorry Princess. Is it time for me to be punished now?"

That's when Natsu decided to wake up. "Whaddiya mean by "Professor Fernandes?" he drawled before yawning and stretching his arms in the air.

Lucy was rendered white as a ghost and slowly melted into the floor.

"Eeeeeahhhh," she groaned as a depressing blue aura radiated from her.

Natsu stared down at her quizzically.

"What's her problem? Is she-" Suddenly Natsu paled before turning a putrid green as it registered that he was still in fact, very much on a moving train. He abruptly fell face first on top of Lucy.

"Should I go get Wendy?" asked Jellal but Gray and Erza shook their heads in synchronisation.

"No point. Natsu's immune to Wendy's Troia now. Maybe we should just shove everyone who gets motion sickness into the same cabin?" suggested Gray.

"Oh you are heartless Fullbuster," Erza smirked.

"What? It's an option," Gray pointed out and Lucy grumbled something incomprehensible from the floor.

"I hate to say it but are we going to be there anytime soon?" asked Gray.

"Well if Jellal told us what this trial involved and exactly where we're all going on this train, then I could tell you," hinted Erza causing Jellal to turn around.

"This time all I know is that the trial, is in the middle of nowhere and that Makarov has said that the physical trial has passed and that this will be one of the mind," he stood up before continuing. "Actually I better go get Laxus and see if we can get a debriefing."

"We'll hold the fort," joked Gray as Jellal stepped over the immobile Lucy and Natsu and slid the cabin door shut behind him.

The members of Fairy Tail had pretty much taken up this part of the train. As Jellal walked down the middle he could hear laughter and shouting from the other cabins. Vijeeter was dancing in the middle of the train and Jellal had to manoeuvre around him. This second trial they were travelling to was strictly viewed by Fairy tail members only and that made Jellal wonder just what Makarov had planned. It still didn't bode well with him that he was going to get S-Class before Natsu. He still thought it wasn't fair, not after everything he had done.

Jellal passed an open compartment and someone called his name. He looked to his right and saw a waving Cana playing cards with Macao, Wakaba and…Bacchus? Jellal sweat-dropped.

"What's he doing here?" asked Jellal grim-faced. "I thought it was Fairy Tail only?"

Cana laughed and punched Bacchus' arm. "Shhh don't tell Makarov and besides he's not causing any harm," she said.

"Right," Jellal sighed.

"Want me to deal you in?" asked Cana but Jellal shook his head.

"Sorry maybe another time? Also if he's here incognito I suggest you keep the door closed."

Cana rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah you have a point there Jelly. Do us a favour and shut it for us will you?"

Jellal slid the door closed and continued to make his way down the train. It was only after he had passed another three cabins that it dawned on him that she had called him _Jelly_. He sighed.

_Damn you Gajeel._

"Are we making the journey easier for you Laxus?!" Jellal could hear Freed through the final cabin door and knocked on it.

"Who is it?" Laxus growled.

"It's Jellal."

"Come in Blue!" Laxus called and Jellal slid open the door.

Laxus sat looking a little worse for wear as the train rocketed along the track. He wasn't quite 'Natsu level motion sick,' but he looked paler than usual. Bickslow was acting as his footstool and Evergreen was fanning him while Freed was pouring him a drink.

"Living it rough Laxus?" Jellal teased.

"Striking me in my moment of weakness huh Blue? How noble."

Jellal folded his arms. "I was coming to ask if you wanted to go and try get more information from Master Makarov but you might pass out in the hallway, so I'll just go on my own," quipped Jellal but Laxus scoffed and took his feet off Bickslow's back.

"Then what are you standing around for? Let's go see Gramps," said Laxus moving past Jellal into the hallway.

When they tracked down Makarov he gave them the rundown. They were told that the trial would rely a little bit on teamwork as they would have their team with them but when Makarov explained the final stage the powerful duo were at a loss for words.

When the train eventually stopped they all piled onto the station and Makarov led the way. The large group walked for miles and Lucy realised that Jellal wasn't kidding when he said it was in the middle of nowhere. Eventually they came to a large building amongst a sea of rocky mountains with enticing orange and pink lights hanging around the entrance.

"Mercury's Mirror Maze," Levy read aloud but the name didn't ring any bells.

A young woman stood before them wearing a long black dress that trailed behind her, but was short at the front. A striking pink and orange pendant in the shape of an orb, swung from her neck. Her high heeled boots clicked sharply on the stone floor and seemed to echo off into the darkness surrounding them. Her features were sharp, stretched with firm brushstrokes and framed by a head of black hair that shone like damp stone and her bangs were tinged vibrant orange. She wore her hair in two twisted long plaits and strands of orange hung loosely from the braids. Her eyes were so pale a grey they almost could have passed for white and they seemed to flicker while she held the flaming torch in one hand.

"Makarov it's been a long time," she greeted. Makarov shook her outstretched hand and she bent down a little to reach him.

"How are you doing Mercury? It has been a long time, although these past seven years were longer for you than they were for me," chuckled Makarov. "Where did that impulsive teenager go who was always bothering the council?"

She laughed and the melodic sound of it could warm any heart.

"My maze is ready and awaiting your mages. Gildarts if you'd please escort them down," said Mercury and Gildarts took another torch off the wall.

"Just don't…break my maze Gildarts," Mercury warned and Gildarts blew air through his teeth.

"Of course not...I'll drop them off and catch up in a sec. C'mon you lot," he grinned and the Thunder God Tribe and Team Redemption followed him down the stony steps.

"As for the rest of you, there are plenty of different rooms for you to view the event, just up the stairs," Mercury told them.

Erza moved to follow Team Natsu but Makarov caught her arm.

"Erza and Mirajane stay here," he stated and Mirajane stopped walking with her siblings and turned back.

When everyone else had disappeared up the stairs, Mercury's smile faded and a look of sadness washed over her face as she closed her grey eyes.

"Makarov are you sure this is wise? Your grandson and Jellal will be facing darkness when they enter, it won't be like it is for my other clients who go to get over petty fears…what if they relapse? The experience is intense and they will have to live and breath their sinful pasts and I don't feel comfortable with that."

Mirajane gasped and Erza's eyes widened as she turned to Makarov.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" she demanded.

"Mavis thinks it's for the best," Makarov replied.

"Mavis?! But Master-"

"Erza I'm sorry… but this is what is happening," Makarov stated and Mirajane placed her hand on Erza's armoured shoulder.

"Those two will be okay," Mirajane patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"It's not your grandson I'm worried about though," uttered Mercury motioning for them to go on ahead up a different staircase. Makarov and Mirajane walked on but Erza lagged behind. Mercury slowed to meet the reequip mage's pace and swiftly removed her pink and orange amulet that hung around her neck. She discreetly pressed it into Erza's hand.

"Use this if you think, things get out of hand," she whispered and Erza nodded and thanked her silently with her eyes, although she had no idea what she had just been handed. Mercury smiled and it was as sad as it was faint. She led them through an archway into a room with a large lacrima showing the layout of the maze.

"Why don't I just give them the normal maze experience without the dark part at the end?" suggested Mercury hopefully but Makarov shook his head causing Mercury to sigh in defeat.

"You can view the trial here but you will see something the others will not," Mercury informed them gravely and Erza rubbed the amulet she now had around her neck.

* * *

"Why do you think the S-Class wizards went to watch it with Makarov?" Lucy wondered.

"Probably because they think they're above us!" yelled Natsu but Gray rolled his eyes.

"No that's not it Flame Brain. I think Lucy is on to something, because this doesn't feel right," Gray said.

"It's a completely different atmosphere from the first trial," Wendy agreed staring at the lacrima.

"I wonder who Mercury is," Lisanna pondered but Carla remained silent although she had seen flashes, she thought it best not to worry them further.

Lily looked crestfallen as he sat brooding.

"What's wrong with you Lily? Why aren't you down there with Gajeel?" Happy asked and Lily's ears drooped.

"This way the teams balance out, but if I go in, it won't be fair because Team Redemption will have one more than the Raijinshu so I can't take part," grumbled Lily and suddenly Levy hugged him close to her chest causing his eyes to bulge out of his skull as she crushed him.

"We'll get our answers soon, but for now let's just silently cheer them on," Alsack said lifting Asuka up onto his shoulders.

"It's a shame we can't cheer them on like we could when they faced the wyvern," commented Bisca. "Mercury…I've heard that name before, no doubt she's probably renowned and I'm just being slow to catch on."

* * *

The entrance to the vast maze was impressive. Enticing orange and pink bright lights in the shape of various flowers weaved around it and there was a torch on either side for dramatic effect.

"So… I don't get to take down a huge blue wyvern but I get called upon to run around like an idiot in a maze…great," moaned Gajeel.

Jellal walked towards the entrance and turned to face Juvia, Gajeel and Cobra.

"We have to navigate through this vast maze of mirrors which is no small feat. We also have to arrive at the centre as a group. When we eventually reach the centre they'll be a minor battle and then I have to handle the rest on my own," Jellal informed them. Cobra shoved his hands into his white coat.

"You're being strangely cryptic," he pointed out.

"Who cares, as long as we get to beat something up at the end! Geehee!" Gajeel exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Wait-wait! Are we fighting the Thunder Goonies!?" he exclaimed but Jellal shook his head.

"No we aren't, they're doing this after we clear it," Jellal said ruefully and Gajeel folded his arms in disappointment.

"Juvia has a question," Juvia spoke up for the first time.

"Sure what is it Juvia?"

Juvia was looking at the floor when suddenly her head snapped up and love hearts appeared in her eyes causing Cobra and Gajeel to recoil.

"WILL GRAY-SAMA SEE JUVIA IN THE MAZE?!"

"Uhm yes…I believe so. The rest of the guild will watch us on the lacrima when we enter," explained Jellal and Juvia wrapped her arms tightly around herself and squealed.

"Then not only will Juvia do this for Jellal-sama she will also impress Gray-sama while helping Jellal-sama! It's perfect!"

Gajeel knocked her hat off her head and ruffled her hair, triggering Juvia to whip around and glower menacingly at him.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped and Jellal quickly picked up her fluffy blue hat and gave it to her.

"Teamwork, please. Teamwork is key if we're going to get through this in one piece. We'll complete this quicker and more efficiently that way and if you're so determined to make this into a competition with the Raijinshu, then you can be damn sure their teamwork will be flawless. So work as one and we win as one," Jellal turned around and began to walk into the entrance but he stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh and Gajeel?"

Gajeel lifted his head.

"…don't be an ass," Jellal finished and walked into Mercury's Maze with his long navy cape billowing behind him.

"There's something messed up with these mirrors," said Cobra prodding one with his finger. He breathed on it but it did not fog over. Juvia stepped forward and placed her palm flat against the cold surface. "Eerie," she whispered as she slid her hand down the mirror. Gajeel leaned over and scrutinised the mirror before he grinned and inspected his teeth. Jellal stood behind them and watched his reflection staring back at him. He swiftly averted his gaze.

"Let's get moving."

The entrance behind them suddenly closed up and they were surrounded by mirrors on all fronts. Hundreds of seemingly infinite reflections of themselves surrounded the group.

"I guess we go forward," shrugged Cobra stepping round the corner. Gajeel attempted to follow but instead he walked face first into a mirror.

"Gah!" He grabbed his nose and staggered back.

"I can sense the magic resonating from the mirrors," said Cobra.

"Okay Cobra, you take point," Jellal instructed. "Follow Cobra."

Gajeel scoffed. "Like hell, I've got a better idea to get through this maze." His fist transformed into an iron pillar and he charged forward yelling.

Jellal, Juvia and Cobra's mouths became identical straight lines as they watched him run full force at the mirror. They knew how this would indubitably end. When Gajeel swung his arm and struck the surface, he wasn't thrown backwards nor did the mirror smash. Nothing happened. Gajeel continued to repeatedly pound the reflective wall, determined to cause some kind of visible damage.

"Okay I think we've established you can't destroy the mirrors," said Jellal patting Gajeel on the back. The iron dragon slayer stopped incessantly hitting the mirror, breathing heavily and closely inspected the immaculate crystal clear mirror.

"Not even a scratch," whistled Cobra but Gajeel pointed.

"No I see a crack!" he declared and Jellal pursed his lips.

"I don't see anything," he intoned.

"That's because your eyesight's crap! Look it's right there!" Gajeel insisted still pointing at the nonexistent crack but Juvia slapped the back of his head.

"Juvia will not be made to look like a fool in front of Gray-sama, now let's go, enough wasting time."

"Sorry Gajeel it seems that's not how we play the game," said Jellal. "And I'm not waiting around ten years for you to put a crack in an enchanted mirror," Jellal quipped and Gajeel had no choice but to swallow his pride and surrender.

They stopped at yet another four way crossing and Cobra closed his eyes. "This way," he announced with clear conviction and led them to the left.

"I bet the Raijinshu will wish they had good old Erik Elf Ears to guide them," Gajeel chuckled and Cobra glared.

"I told you not to call me that," Cobra growled.

"If you tell him that, he'll only say it more," advised Jellal speaking from experience.

"Can Juvia point out that we are being _watched _by the others," she emphasised.

"It must be pretty boring watching us bickering and walking through a maze," Gajeel said rolling the kink in his neck.

"I don't know, the three of you can be pretty entertaining, in your own unique and unintentional ways," admitted Cobra with a wry smirk. Silence hung in the air as Juvia, Jellal and Gajeel decided whether or not they should be offended by that comment.

"Hey," Cobra eventually broke the dragging silence. "I think things are about to get interesting," he said gesturing in front of him.

A mirror stood out from the infinite sea of others as it glowed with a mysterious orange aura. They spotted another which was slightly further up, only instead of a vibrant orange it was glowing a cerise pink.

Without hesitating Juvia placed her palm on the transparent orange mirror and her hand immediately slipped straight through. Gajeel and Cobra yelled but Juvia calmly took her hand back out and inspected it before sliding it through again.

"Look over at the pink mirror," Jellal said pointing where Juvia's hand was now sticking out. She wiggled her fingers.

"Portals," confirmed Jellal just as Gajeel decided to stick his whole head through it and sure enough, his floating head appeared further down at the cerise portal.

"What happens if that portal were to shut Gajeel?" mused Cobra. Unfazed, Gajeel stepped completely into the orange portal and walked out unscathed from the pink one.

"Shut up Erik," but then something caught his eye that was out of sight for the others and his jaw consequently dropped. They jogged over and their eyes widened.

Jellal, Juvia and Gajeel were reminded of the complex labyrinth from the Grand Magic Games…only that looked organised compared to the madness before them. There was an explosion of orange and pink portals randomly scattered amongst the regular mirrors and there was no telling which was the correct route. The trio turned to the poison dragon slayer hopefully but his eyebrow twitched.

"Are you alright Cobra-kun? Juvia asked.

Cobra clutched his head and groaned slightly.

"The noise…so loud. Intense…"

"How can you have such good hearing when both your eyes are workin' now?" wondered Gajeel unnecessarily and Cobra snarled.

"You don't just forget acquired magic you idiot, and now is not the time for jesting me."

Jellal pushed their faces apart and walked between them.

"Stand back," he warned. "_Meteor_." Shooting off in a glorious burst of heavenly light, he zipped in and out of the portals faster than the others could follow with their eyes. Then all of a sudden he disappeared.

The suspense stretched on for Juvia, Gajeel and Cobra as they were starting to get wary as time slipped by with Jellal not reappearing. They looked at each other.

"We're not gonna start disappearing one by one are we? That would be a pain," grumbled Cobra.

"Aw do you need to hold my hand Erik?" asked Gajeel sardonically.

"Shut your face metal head," countered Cobra and Juvia cringed.

"Jellal-sama! Don't leave Juvia alone with these two! Please!" she called into the mirrors.

As if answering Juvia's vehement plea, a beam of light rocketed towards them and Jellal readjusted his cloak.

"Sorry I was just scouting on ahead. One portal leads to the next section of the maze and it's the orange one just down there. Let's get going," Jellal led the way and the others followed.

"For a moment there, I thought I was going to have to eat Gajeel to survive," said Cobra as they were about to step through the orange portal but before the two dragon slayers had the chance to clash, Jellal turned his head slowly and his face darkened significantly.

"Teamwork," he stressed.

It felt like they had been in the maze an eternity, as they walked with Cobra on point manoeuvring through the eerie mirrors when suddenly he fell to his knees.

"Cobra!" they jerked towards him but he shook off their concern.

"I'm fine! I'm fi-gaaaaahmmm!" He covered his ears and screwed his eyes tightly shut.

"Ringing…ringing no…no…interference. Is someone…" he winced as whatever was causing him discomfort flared up again. "Someone's blocking me, all I hear is ringing and it's making me crazy," Cobra hissed. Juvia removed her fluffy blue hat and popped it onto his head, pulling it down so that it covered his ears.

Cobra cracked one eye open. "How's that supposed to make a difference? It's in my head," he said tightly.

"Well Juvia is only trying to help," she huffed folding her arms and Cobra sighed heavily.

"S-sorry. Thank you. It's calmed down a bit now." He stood up from his curled up position and placed Juvia's hat back on her head where it belonged.

It was a touching moment for Team Redemption and even Gajeel didn't ruin it by commenting on how ridiculous Cobra looked in that large blue hat. It was on odd sight and Jellal couldn't help but think that the other guild members who were watching would find the whole thing rather amusing. This trial was supposed to be one of intellect, teamwork and…Jellal was dreading the final part…but at the same time he wasn't. Conflicted didn't even cover how his emotions were waging war in his mind.

Cobra continued to try and navigate around the twisting and turning maze that messed with your perception, but when they rounded a corner, they hit a wall as Cobra literally smacked into one.

"Well, I guess our map's broken, so please tell me you have a plan because I just want to smash something. I do _not _want to drag my feet around and go in circles," said Gajeel.

"In the Grand Magic Games Jellal, Laxus and Mira were quick to work out how the labyrinth worked, so I have every faith Jellal can clear this," Juvia smiled as Gajeel looked offended that he didn't get a mention. Cobra scratched his head.

"Can you even lose at this trial? Is the only way to fail if you quit?" asked Cobra curiously but Jellal shook his head.

"No," he murmured but his mind was elsewhere as he weighed their options.

"Juvia has an idea! Water Nebula!" She flicked her wrist and fired a torrent of water at the ground creating a mini stream behind them indicating the ground they had covered. Gajeel patted Juvia on the back, impressed and she beamed but her face quickly fell as the droplets of water began to swiftly retract into the mirrors as if they were being sucked up. They all groaned in synchronisation.

"Good idea though Juvia," Jellal praised and they continued on their perpetual quest to reach the centre.

Whether it was some divine intervention or just sheer luck that they rounded a corner and were met by four mysterious glowing circles in the centre of four mirrors was unknown to them.

"Finally!" Gajeel exclaimed. "This looks promising."

"Four mirrors and there's four of us," Juvia said stepping forward and placing her hand on one of the circles. Immediately it turned opaque. The boys followed her lead and did the same with the other three mirrors. The ground began to shake as if the very maze was shifting. The wall of manipulative mirrors before them swung open like a door.

"Yes!" Cobra cheered and released his hand from the circle. The mirror wall began to steadily close and a look of alarm passed over his features.

"Run for it!" Gajeel shouted and they pushed forward. Gajeel was last to leap behind the door.

There was no doubt in their minds that they had finally reached the centre of the never ending maze. The mirrors encircled a large open area and in the centre there was a stone circular platform with beautiful engravings etched into the stone. An oval shaped mirror with an eerie black frame sat on the stone platform and Jellal's eyes widened.

"You have to go. You don't have to see this," Jellal spoke quickly and he was deliberately averting his gaze from the haunting mirror, but he could feel the darkness touching his mind, pushing to get through his fragile barricades.

"Jellal are you-" Juvia gave a startled gasp as she saw Gray bloodied and broken as the projectiles from Motherglare's minions shot through his body. He fell unceremoniously and remained inert. His chest ceased rising and falling.

Gajeel stomped forward. "If you think we're backing out now Jel…" Gajeel caught a glimpse of Levy; battered and bruised strung up with her arms hanging limply, against a tree. He recoiled. _He _had done that to Shrimp and her team...

"Enough! I said get back!" Jellal fired an array of heavenly arrows at their feet pushing them backwards and breaking them from their horrific reflections of the past. "Stay away," Jellal's voice wavered as the darkness began to flood his mind.

"Jellal we're here to help you…" Juvia took a step forward but Jellal stepped back.

"Please," Jellal choked causing to Juvia to falter.

Suddenly there was a flash of orange at Juvia's feet and a gloved hand shot out and grabbed her ankle dragging her down. She fell through the floor and Cobra made to catch her outstretched arm, but she slipped away from his grasp. In Juvia's place a dark hooded figure flipped out from the portal kicking Cobra right in the face. Gajeel stepped in to take a swing at the assailant, but they swiftly dodged the heavy strike and splayed their palm on the ground in front of Gajeel, creating a cerise pink portal. Gajeel shrieked in surprise as he fell straight through it. The hooded figure dodged Cobra's vicious poison punches, then countered with a roundhouse kick, which clipped Cobra in the side of the head, causing him to stagger. Rather than smack against the mirrors he sank through an orange portal that suddenly grew across the expanse of the wall.

Jellal made a ball of navy blue energy explode at the attacker, successfully causing them to fly through the air but they quickly recovered and rolled deftly across the ground, springing back to their feet. Jellal followed it through with a beam of heavenly light but his opponent flashed their palm and an orange portal appeared, acting as a shield reflecting the shot. They flicked their other hand above Jellal and conjured a second portal, which the heavenly light zoomed out of and hit Jellal. He brought up his arm and blocked the barrage of his own magic. Immediately he shot into Meteor and circled the hooded figure multiple times, throwing their spatial awareness off kilter. He could still feel that tingling sensation in his mind. Dispelling _Meteor _Jellal fired a beam of light and leapt forward grabbing the front of her cloak before she fell backwards.

"It's Mercury right?" confirmed Jellal as the attacker's hood fluttered down revealing pale grey eyes and dark hair with a flash of orange

"Yes. It's an honour to finally meet you Jellal Fernandes. Allow me to properly introduce myself: Mercury Iparis, tenth wizard saint."

"Your mirror magic is impressive," complemented Jellal.

"Mirrors are portals…to other places…and into the soul. They reflect a person inside and out. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to play dirty here because you're a power house when it comes to magic," she cracked a smile, but her eyes appeared sad. One second Jellal was looking at Mercury and the next he was falling through the floor and then reappearing from the ceiling. He landed hard on the ground, sprawled out and when he went to stand, he slipped through the floor and then fell from a high height, only this time he landed on his back and the wind rushed out of him. He rolled to the side just narrowly missing a cerise portal but then rolled straight into another. He was starting to lose his sense of what way was up, as mirrors surrounded him from every angle.

He was reminded of Natsu, queasy and immobile on the train and wondered if portals counted as a vehicle and then he thought of something that took his mind off his current predicament altogether.

Laxus was going to have to face Mercury at some point. Jellal laughed into the ground; glad in that moment that he wasn't a dragon slayer.

Once more the familiar orange light radiated on the ground and Jellal fell through. He passed through a pink portal on the ceiling and dropped straight back into the orange portal directly below and appeared again from the pink. He fell continuously from orange to pink and the velocity was making his head spin but he did not feel ill. Meteor had made him pretty much immune to stomach drops.

He continued to free fall through the two mirror portals and Jellal was beginning to wonder how long she was going to make him fall. As he shot through the pink portal for the final time, rather than the orange portal, the ground was there to greet Jellal's body instead.

Staggering to his feet, the maze around him was spinning and Mercury eventually came into focus. She cupped Jellal's chin and looked into his endearing dark eyes. Mercury now had one fiery orange eye and the other was soothing pink.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as his eyes turned orange and pink reflecting her own. His breath hitched in his throat and his blood ran cold through his veins. Gently Mercury turned his lolling head so that he was looking back at the large daunting mirror in the centre of the maze.

"I'm sorry…so sorry."

* * *

Cobra tumbled through the portal and landed on Gajeel and Juvia in an awkward pile up.

"No friggin' way!" Gajeel cried shoving Cobra off him and punching the wall they had fallen through. It was just a plain old wall. No portal, just stone

They were outside of the maze.

A set of stone steps curved before them and those dainty orange and pink fairy lights at the entrance hung around a banner that read: "Congratulations! You've cleared the maze! Exit up ahead, please come again!"

"But we haven't cleared the maze! Jellal-sama is still in there!" Juvia wailed.

"So what are we then? Backing dancers?" said Cobra disdainfully, but Juvia and Gajeel were too preoccupied trying to destroy the wall to hear him.

"Hey relax alright? It's a Fairy Tail S-Class Trial, he's not going to _die _or anything," Cobra pointed out but Juvia scowled at him.

"That's not the point. Juvia saw something dark when she looked into that mirror for only a moment…Jellal will see…" her lip quivered. "He'll see everything he has buried."

Cobra's look softened but Gajeel shrieked and thumped the wall.

"THAT WAS NOT A BATTLE! I WAS PROMISED A BATTLE! THAT WAS CHEAP AND COWARDLY!"

* * *

"Why are we stuck watching those three? Why aren't we watching what's happening in the maze?" Elfman asked and Natsu shrugged his shoulders, looking unusually grave.

"Because it's something we're not supposed to see," stated Levy piecing it together and turning from the lacrima.

"…But the others can."

* * *

_Screams._

_They echoed around him perpetually and he relished in it. The sounds of rock smashing was like music to his ears as the Tower grew closer and closer to completion._

_A child with long tangled brown hair fell onto her stomach and her pickaxe slipped from her shaking grasp. Jellal leered over her. _

"_Is that the best you can do? Get up! I said get up! He laughed as the brunette weakling stumbled to her feet and fell yet again. He laughed as she dragged herself across the floor bruised, battered and filthy_.

_Blood, screams, terror, coughing, bruises, nightmares. He had orchestrated it all. He extended out his arms and breathed it all in. Zeref would be awakened._

_The memory transitioned as his surroundings melted…_

Jellal stumbled down the long stretch of mirrors and shook his head trying to clear it from the intense onslaught of horrors. He did not want anyone else messing with his head. He staggered and put his hand flat out against a mirror for support. He looked up and an infinite army of his own reflections stared straight back at him. His eyes were glowing amber and cerise. His hand slipped down the mirror.

"I deserve this…I deserve hatred. I was evil. I was a monster…I am a monster…"

_Bind snake._

_The red serpents were curling around her, choking her, crushing her. Erza was slowly slipping backwards into etherion as she stretched out her slender hand and screamed. Such beautiful screams. He placed his index finger on her head pushing her further into the turquoise crystal…_

* * *

"Master this has to stop! He's unravelling!" Erza yelled as Jellal clutched his head and shuddered uncontrollably. It was as if all the fight had been drained from him. Gildarts and Mirajane turned to Makarov with identical distraught faces. Makarov looked pained but his eyes dropped to the floor. Erza's lip curled as she whipped around with clenched fists and she let loose a trio of poisonous words.

"I'm ending this."

Mavis appeared before Erza blocking her path.

"Jellal is happier than he has ever been but he still harbours guilt in-"

"Which is why I'm stopping this! As an S-Class wizard I have the authority-"

"Listen young one-"

"Everything we've worked so hard to get over will be erased! He's lived through enough pain! Enough! He finally deserves peace and I can't just stand by and allow him to slip into despair again! This is too much! He-"

Mavis hugged her, stopping Erza in her tracks.

"Pain is what makes us stronger and propels us to keep going to keep on fighting, but Jellal needs to let go of the horrors that still plague his nightmares. He needs to stop making himself believe that he has to atone for sins he never committed. Then he will rise as a Fairy Tail wizard."

The Fairy Tactician was telling her that this was the right move. Erza still longed to charge over and destroy his nightmares but she stayed where she was, rooted to the spot.

"I can't lose him Mavis," Erza whispered. The First Master took Erza's hand and enclosed it with both of her own; unwavering emerald eyes shining brightly. She was in tactician mode.

"You won't," she confirmed and Erza took a deep breath before nodding. She hastily swiped away a solitary tear and locked her heart in a suit of armour.

A shining orange portal opened up beside them and Mercury stepped through and analysed the situation before her.

"How long will this last for?" Mirajane choked and Mercury rubbed her arm without answering. The dark haired mage looked over at Erza who was subconsciously pulling on the amulet she had given her around her neck. On the lacrima Jellal was now on his knees, with his head on the floor, shuddering. Erza knuckles turned white as she gripped the amulet tightly and Mercury coughed.

"It doesn't last long," she stated but she was looking at Erza not Mirajane as she said it. Erza looked over at her and Mercury tapped her neck discreetly.

"It won't last long," she repeated and Erza quickly caught on that she was talking about the amulet. Erza nodded to show she understood and Mercury then made a subtle motion of how to open the amulet and pointed to the door, stretching while she did so to conceal it.

"I can't watch this," Erza admitted which was the truth and hastily stepped out of the room. With her back to the wall she took off the necklace and inspected it closely. It was a peachy orb with twisting swirls and a level of intricate detail engraved into it. She could hear Mirajane's soft voice no doubt wanting to go check on her and Mercury telling her that she probably needed space. Taking a deep breath Erza twisted the orb of the amulet, with no idea of what it would do.

She had locked her heart in a suit of armour for too much of her life. Fairy Tail were supposed to be there for their comrades… so there was no way she was letting Jellal go through this alone.

It opened with a satisfying 'click' and instantly a whirlwind of vibrant orange and pink shot out and encircled Erza, the orange dust seemed to stick to her skin while the pink burst away and suddenly Erza felt like she was floating. When she turned around, she was staring back at herself, standing still and unblinking. Erza looked down to find that she _was _floating like a transparent orange ghost.

_It doesn't last long_

With no time to admire the bazaar situation or feel even remotely unnerved, Erza shot through the walls into the maze. A wispy pink trail leading the way.

* * *

_The life ebbed away from Simon as he took his last breath and Erza sobbed over his body. Jellal stood watching at a distance with eyes as cold and dead as Simon's now were._

_Simon…Milliana…_Shô_…Wally…Kagura…Erza…_

_Erza…_

_Maybe I should just die._

_Maybe I should just die._

_Maybe I should just…_

There was a sudden burst of light that broke through the thick pernicious wall of darkness that was consuming him and Jellal felt warmth return to his icy skin.

"It's not all bad Jellal. It's not all bad memories you possess. You have more than just nightmares. This guilt you're feeling right now…is who you are and the man in these nightmares is not you. Don't give in to the darkness Jellal. Fairy Tail wizards don't back down. Happiness is far more powerful than despair."

That voice was keeping him grounded. It had always kept him grounded…

His eyes slowly cracked open and Erza was holding him in her arms only she wasn't really there. She was tangible but it didn't look like it, as she appeared transparent. Smiling at him like an avenging angel…a peach ghost and a sight for sore eyes. Slowly she leaned over and rested her forehead gently against his...

* * *

"_Scarlet. It was the colour of your hair." Jellal gently flicked Erza's short, bouncy red hair and smiled as Erza squirmed under the special attention directed solely at her..._

_Erza extended her hand and pulled Jellal to his feet as the wind ruffled their hair on Nirvana. The smiled at each other tentatively..._

"_It was me who destroyed your life. I am the one to blame for every atrocity you have ever committed," Ultear handed him the sword and closed her eyes._

"_If peace can only come through killing someone…then I don't want it," Jellal vowed as the sword cluttered harmlessly at their feet. __Sitting with Ultear and Meredy having soup by the fire while Meredy chatted incessantly while he sat listening contently..._

_Fighting the crazed Mushroom Making Maniac with Juvia and Gajeel in the mines with their unpolished tactics. Team Redemption with their different personalities and opposing opinions somehow worked, despite the imperfections._

"_Juvia's point is that Jellal should stop suffering and move on. The rest of us have."_

_Juvia confided in Jellal about her situation with Gray, while he finally admitted his feelings for Erza to her during the Grand Magic Games. Gajeel told him quietly about what he did to Fairy Tail when he was in Phantom Lord to try and make Jellal feel better..._

_"Mystogan was a good friend but so are you," Wendy said sweetly, hugging his torso, before buying the Macao figurine. Avidly discussing books with Levy and Lucy, defeating the wyvern, butting heads with Laxus, holding Erza's hand as they watched the purple dust float up to the moon as Ultear faded away..._

_Jellal swiftly blocked the oncoming attack from Zero protecting Natsu with his own body. "I believe in the man whom Erza believes in," Jellal clasped his hand with Natsu's giving him the Flame of Rebuke- the power to defeat Zero._

"_Wizards of Fairy Tail are used to sin. The real sin is to look away and be unable to trust others!" Natsu cried as he charged at Zero with his newfound golden flames._

"_You've got to stay by her side! For Erza's sake! So come with us, we're all here for you! You are one of us now, right? Jellal!" Natsu vehemently shouted, coming to his defence as the council came to detain him. Everyone fighting on his behalf…putting themselves in danger, all to prevent him from being arrested after the Nirvana incident..._

_Mirajane cheerfully stamped a red Fairy Tail emblem on his shoulder. "Welcome to Fairy Tail Jellal. Welcome to the family." _

"There you go…There you go…" Erza echoed before dissolving into the air.

Breathing heavily Jellal ripped off his cloak and gripped his scarlet Fairy Tail mark, before punching the ground.

"I'm a Fairy Tail wizard."

He took a shaky breath and looked at himself in the mirror. This time he did not flinch at his reflection.

"I am a Fairy Tail wizard!"

The orange and pink vanished from his eyes as he rose to his feet.

* * *

Erza gasped as she returned to her body and immediately ran back into the lacrima room just in time to catch Jellal with his arm pointed triumphantly in the air... in a Fairy Tail salute, equipped with the widest grin on his face that Erza had ever seen him wear. She felt her eyes water and folded her arms to appear composed.

"Just in time Erza! I don't know what happened but he just suddenly found his Fairy Tail mojo!" Gildarts chuckled and did an air-grab. The tears were streaming down Mirajane's face as she squeezed Erza in a tight embrace. Erza looked at Mercury over the sobbing take over mage's shoulder and mouthed a silent: _thank you._

* * *

After Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe eventually cleared the maze later that day everyone assembled in the large gift shop.

"I've always been a fan of Jellal… even when I shouldn't have been a fan. I liked how he was able to infiltrate the council like he did. It proved how unprepared and ignorant they were, something that I was always trying to tell them in my youth," Mercury admitted to Makarov while she watched Natsu throw a large puffy hat on Jellal's head that read: "I survived the maze!" and the others started laughing.

"You're not allowed to mention the word 'youth' when I'm around girl," joked Makarov. "When did you make it into the Wizard Saints?"

"When Jura moved up a rank in your absence, I finally made it in," Mercury replied. "I know this little business I've got running is a little odd for a wizard saint to do but this is fun…with the exception of today. That was hellish, don't make me do that again," she said. "I'm actually a little wary they'll strip me of my title because they're all so uptight and I'm…well _not_. I've never met the top four but I heard they aren't even human. You lot wouldn't fit in at all even though you've got practically a whole guild of wizard saints," she smirked.

Makarov handed her a heavy bag of jewels but Mercury made a scoffing noise and pushed the bag away.

"I'm not taking your jewels Makarov. Especially not for that," Mercury insisted.

"Well we need to pay you for your services somehow," Makarov insisted and Mercury put her thumb to her rosy lips, deep in thought.

"Actually I have some new features to try out in the maze…a laughing gas from Blue Pegasus…capture the flag…search and destroy-"

"ALRIGHT I'M IN!" yelled Natsu. "I'm all fired up!" he punched his fists together and ran straight for the maze; Gray, Gajeel and Elfman close on his heels.

"Manly!"

Cana and Bacchus sprinted to join them. Makarov did a double take when he saw Bacchus but then decided to just let it go. It seemed it was an appropriate day to just let things go.

* * *

As the train juddered along, Erza slept soundly on Jellal's shoulder, no doubt exhausted from that astral portal projection stunt she pulled. It was their little secret but Erza had a sneaking suspicion Mavis knew about it. Jellal was looking out the window once more, watching the clouds drift across the ironic pink and orange sunset. He felt more alive, than ever before. It was as if the ground below his feet had disappeared and there was a weight lifted from his shoulders making him feel as light as those drifting clouds. He could finally let go of his old life, all of the misery and sorrow he had gone through. He had finally found hope, a new glimpse of hope that would last for the rest of his life. They had the train cabin to themselves this time, and all that could be heard was the chugging of the train, as it took them all back home.

He was Jellal Fernandes and he was finally free.

"Hm….. free," he muttered quietly and Erza stirred.

"Free Fernandes," she murmured into his shoulder and Jellal smiled softly leaning his head against hers.

"Free Fernandes," he agreed.

* * *

**Aaaaaand thats NOT the end.**

**Thanks for reading this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to upload I've just been really busy but I've been working on this chapter whenever I had a spare second, usually late at night. I listened to all sorts of Fairy Tail OST's while I worked on it. **

**I very nearly split this into two chapters, but I just decided to keep it as the one so I hope that's okay. I suppose it goes without saying that _Mercury Iparis_ is of my own creation XD**

**Thanks for all the favourites and follows it's much appreciated. Please leave your feelings as a review so I can read them :) I love that people are enjoying it, but it's even nicer to see readers taking the time to leave their throughts- even just a few words. So please if you are enjoying the story please tell me why as a review :)**

**Shout out to MayeLamker! Merci pour les cours de français!**

***Fairy Tail Salute***

**Next Time: "Heavenly Lightning Trials part 4"**

**If you haven't already, feel free to check out my short prequel called "I Believe In You Erza," in the meantime :)**


	15. Ch15 Heavenly Lightning Trials part 4

✿ _**Author's Note...**_

**I did a bit of chapter tweaking so there was probably a bit of confusion with your update emails XD I put the two parts of a Fistful of Parfum together and edited it a bit so feel free to go back and re-read Ch1 now XD Because of this there is now one chapter less. I updated a chapter when I was off ill but then I took it down because I felt like it wasn't ready XD Hope that clears everything up. **

**Oh I just want to say I was at Glasgow Comic Con 2014 and bought a Jellal Fernandes poster (2 actually, one with Natsu and one on his own) It was an epic day. Anyway now on to the chapter at hand….**

**ღ**** Happy reading ****ღ**

**-Eva**

* * *

Heavenly Lightning Trials part 4

"For your final trial you have to out-drink Cana!" Makarov cried.

"That's not going to happen," Jellal and Laxus intoned in synchronisation with identical placid faces. Makarov laughed at their far from amused reactions.

"Okay okay…that was a joke. You must out-paint Reedus!"

Jellal and Laxus sweat-dropped as Makarov laughed and continued making up ridiculous trials as he had been doing for the past five minutes.

"You have to fight someone blindfolded!" Mavis joined in. "Oh! Oh! You have to dance!" she added twirling on her toes cheerfully. "You have to give someone a piggyback!"

"Are we actually going to find out anytime soon, what they _really_ have to do?" Gray asked folding his arms and staring up at the azure sky. They were all standing in the Fairy Tail garden surrounded by the vibrant clashes of colourful flowers. A slight breeze danced in the air and blew some of the petals into their hair.

"It is I, you have to fight blindfolded," Gildarts announced with a straight face, but then he raised his eyebrows and lost it.

"Now I would actually pay to see that," Cana admitted and Macao and Wakaba nodded eyes wide.

"Okay, that's enough. We're just teasing you. You've completed your physical and mental trial, so that means you've completed everything," Makarov smiled and Laxus' face tightened suspiciously.

"Is that so Gramps?"

"All you need to do now is go and get your S-Class badges at the top of this small staircase," he gestured behind him at the marble steps that led straight up to a balcony overlooking the garden, that would take them back into the guildhall.

"Just like that?" Laxus asked not convinced but Jellal remained silent.

"Just like that," Gildarts echoed, yet Laxus still didn't move. He arched a blonde eyebrow, but no-one divulged anything more.

"Come on then Laxus. You heard the man," Jellal said swiftly moving to the marble staircase. He walked up a few steps and stopped, waiting for the lightning dragon slayer. Unfolding his arms Laxus grudgingly followed, so that they both stood on the same step and turned around to face the others.

"Well don't drag this out you two," Makarov proclaimed and Laxus and Jellal shared a sceptical look.

"What are you waiting for anyway! Just hurry up!" Natsu shouted growing increasingly impatient. Erza was secretly smirking. For once she knew what was going on.

They continued up the stairs.

"This is weird," grumbled Laxus. "Even for Gramps." Jellal didn't answer, the cogs were whirring in his mind. They were nearing the top of the stairs.

"Do they just want us to show off the badges once we get to the top? This isn't even that fancy a staircase," Laxus went on but Jellal was looking down at his feet, with his hand on the slick white railing. They were nearing the top of the stairs.

"Keep your guard up…something is off," he surmised and Laxus grunted.

"But you seemed calm down there, what's your deal?" Laxus inquired. They were nearing the top of the stairs.

"Why make us climb these? It makes no sense."

Laxus shrugged. "Gramps likes to be dramatic. Erza, Mirajane, Mystogan and Gildarts didn't go through this crap. They're just being difficult with us."

They were nearing the top of the stairs.

"Why not just give the badges inside the guildhall?" Jellal pointed out. He realised that the others were being strangely and uncharacteristically silent behind them but he did not turn around. "Wouldn't they be cheering if we were on our way to getting our S-Class titles?"

"I don't know, let's just get these stupid badges," Laxus declared. They were nearing the top of the stairs…

Jellal suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Laxus…"

"What is it now Blue?" snapped Laxus turning around but he stiffened at something behind Jellal and his jaw twitched ever so slightly.

"How long have we been _nearing the top of the stairs_?" Jellal asked warily but Laxus didn't answer, instead he groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Jellal look behind you."

Jellal turned and where their guild mates should have been standing, there was a transparent purple wall.

"It's an enchanted staircase," Jellal confirmed and Laxus took off his black and yellow coat he had hung over his shoulders and let it drop onto the marble steps.

"Of course it is," he muttered irritably. Makarov looked like he was speaking but his image was distorted through the wall. A small hole suddenly appeared and now they could clearly make out their Master's head.

"Welcome to the endurance round! Physical, mental…now endurance! Can you get up the never ending staircase?" He doubled over with a bubbling laughter but it was cut short as the wall re-formed and they were alone once more.

"I think I've just about had it," Laxus admitted but Jellal surprised him by… laughing.

"That was brilliant! Well played," Jellal grinned and clapped his hands in the direction of where no doubt the others were watching. Laxus looked at the bluenette in a flummox who was still clapping.

"What the hell did that maze do to you?"

Jellal didn't answer and instead removed his long navy cloak so that he was just wearing a black top and grey trousers, with his scarlet emblem on display on his shoulder. "An endless staircase huh? Well then…race you!" With that the heavenly body magic mage went sprinting up the perpetual staircase without a care in the world.

"What the…hey wait up! Should we not conserve energy or something? Oh geez I can't believe I just said that. I've been spending too much time with you!" Laxus yelled running after him. They were about to really find out what "endless" meant.

Laxus was just behind Jellal who was running at full pelt. They realised now that they weren't really _nearing the top of the stairs_ although it sure felt like they were. Laxus was gaining on Jellal when suddenly Jellal flicked into Meteor and zoomed further ahead.

"Hey that's not-" Laxus suddenly shrieked and hit the steps as some kind of pain erupted in his bones. Jellal darted back and Laxus shrieked again, turning pale and almost tumbled down the stairs but Jellal grabbed his arm.

"What's up with you!?" Jellal asked but then his eyes caught the all too familiar identical pink bracelets with a love heart in the centre; branded on both of their wrists.

"Meredy…" Jellal breathed and then it dawned on him that they must have been in a sensory link when Jellal went into Meteor…

"Oh…Sorry Laxus," Jellal couldn't help but crack a smile as he thought of Laxus and his motion sickness.

"Why the hell are you sorry? I don't want your damn pity…and why is there a love heart on my wrist?" Laxus looked disgusted at the glowing pink bracelet and the whole thing was so comical, Jellal felt his lip quiver.

"Wait it's that chick you know isn't it? Is this that spell that made you lose your fight with Jura?" Laxus asked getting back on his feet and Jellal's mouth made a thin grim line.

"Yes," he deadpanned not wishing to be reminded of the embarrassing hot peppers incident. Or of poor Ultear.

Why was it with every good memory there was a bad one there to ruin it? Jellal took a deep breath and thought of Erza's wise words from the maze: _Happiness is far more powerful than despair. _Jellal felt grounded once more.

"I guess I'm not using Meteor to get up these stairs," Jellal teased twisting the knife in Laxus' damaged pride.

"Just do it, I don't care. I can handle it."

"No. That's not fair," Jellal replied and continued walking up the steps at a normal pace.

"Great, so not only do I need to endure a never ending staircase but _your _company as well?"

Jellal shrugged his shoulders but kept on walking. He was used to getting over obstacles...so this was going to be a piece of cake. That expression never failed to make him think of a certain red headed mage.

"If I had known I was going to be running up a never ending staircase I would have had something to eat beforehand. I'm starving," Laxus grumbled but Jellal just scoffed.

"You think you have problems? My rent is coming up and I haven't had a chance to go out on a job because of all these trials…"

* * *

"Thanks for that Meredy," Makarov said appreciatively but Meredy shook her head and waved away his praise with a smile.

"I've _never _seen him like this before," she marvelled and a sort of vapid eagerness flitted across her face.

"He seems so…happy. No it's more than that…he kind of just looks free…from himself, I mean. Just ignore me I'm just thinking out loud and babbling."

"You're absolutely right Meredy," Erza agreed placing a hand on the pink-haired mage's shoulder.

"What on earthland did you all do to him." Meredy uttered and it was worded like a question but spoken like a statement. She knew exactly what they'd done to him.

"How long are you going to make them run exactly?" wondered Levy.

"Until the blood flows throughout the staircase and the land itself," Laki crooned and her glasses eerily caught the light. Jet and Droy took a big step back from the lilac haired mage.

"Creepy…" they sang in unison as Laki stared dreamily off into the distance.

Makarov folded his arms rather than answer Levy's question.

"It's not called an endurance test for nothing Levy," he said with a grin.

Levy's face scrunched up. "I know what _endurance _means," she muttered irritably and Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"Yeah we all know you're a genius Shrimp," he ruffled her hair and Levy's face instantly burned crimson.

* * *

"I don't know about you but I'm starting to get creeped out and bored of us running around on these trials while everyone just watches," Laxus was jogging alongside Jellal as they swiftly ascended the infinite staircase.

"Do you think they can hear us?" wondered Jellal sceptically.

"Nah…those are Freed's runes. I recognise these ones, he's used them before on some bandits and the poor idiots trapped inside couldn't be heard from the outside. I don't think he's the one behind the infinite staircase though…if he is, he's been holding out on us."

Jellal smirked. "I just can't imagine Freed agreeing to this."

* * *

Evergreen and Bickslow were holding Freed down by both arms, as he flailed and jerked violently. "No! I must apologise to Laxus! I have disgraced his trust! I have deceived him by tricking him into this trial! Allow me to apologise!" Freed shrieked fighting against his comrades. "I am a pathetic human being!" Bickslow and Evergreen were both just hoping that he wouldn't go into _Dark Écriture Absolute Shadow_ mode then things would get messy.

* * *

"I think he'll be taking it okay," Laxus replied casually.

"I have been wondering how such a diverse group even formed," Jellal admitted.

"Look who's talking Blue, your ragtag team ain't exactly-"

"Compatible?" Jellal offered.

"I was going to say sane."

Jellal shook his head and sighed at the blonde's audacity but he was smiling nonetheless. An almost awkward silence fell between them, broken only by their boots slapping against the marble steps.

"I guess we have time to talk," said Jellal after what seemed an eternity.

"What makes you think I want to gossip with you?" Laxus replied snidely. "You know I think this is the longest I've ever been in your company. At the Grand Magic Games Team B didn't really chat much did we?"

"I couldn't risk revealing my true-"

"Oh geeeez! Give me a break, with your sob story already will ya?" Laxus swiftly cut him off with an eye roll. "You need new lines," he told Jellal.

"Right…new lines," Jellal echoed drearily and he was beginning to regret ending the serene silence between them.

"Actually did you ever thank me for kicking Jura's ass for you?" Laxus needled and Jellal cringed.

"If it were up to me, I would have: _kicked Jura's ass_," Jellal responded using Laxus' own words back at him to stress his point. Laxus chuckled.

"I don't know, but hearing those words from your sophisticated face is pretty hilarious," he grinned.

"I'm internally laughing uncontrollably right now," Jellal intoned and Laxus chuckled again.

"Ah you're alright company Fernandes," Laxus said.

"Oh the pleasure is all mine of being in your illustrious company Dreyar," Jellal replied sardonically.

Suddenly the steps began to glow a soft golden as they moved up them and they shared a wary look.

"Maybe we're nearly there," suggested Laxus.

"I seriously doubt it," Jellal announced - his pessimism was starting to creep in again.

"Whatever, lets just pick up the pace, I'm still starving. Go into Meteor and I'll try to keep up."

"I think we've already established I'm not using Meteor."

"I said I'll keep up. Doesn't it have gears or something, just don't go full speed." With that Laxus shot off as a bolt of yellow lighting and Jellal -after a defeated sigh- darted after him. They made good ground for several minutes until Laxus eventually came to an abrupt stop and wobbled on his feet, his bracelet glowing an innocent pink. He looked pale as he shut his eyes for a moment.

"Alright there _Dreyar_? You're looking a bit _greyer_," Jellal grinned and Laxus inwardly groaned at the painful pun.

"This isn't funny anymore Gramps!"

Just then there was an almighty crashing sound off in the distance and Jellal's head whipped up but nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the empty staircase. The balcony was just ahead…but really it wasn't, they knew that now.

"What was that?" Laxus asked but Jellal shushed him.

"Be quiet! I'm trying to listen."

The rumbling noise began to grow steadily louder and Laxus stood beside Jellal finally recovering from his ordeal.

The rumbling stopped.

"Huh…well maybe it was just-"

A line of barrels suddenly appeared from the top of the stairs and began to roll menacingly towards them.

"Duck, jump or destroy?" Laxus said as a burst of electricity enveloped him.

"Duck? Seriously? You would duck when there's a vanguard of barrels rolling towards you?"

"Shut up _Jelly_!"

"Don't call me that you airhead!" Jellal yelled and without looking raised his palm and destroyed the two barrels just about to smack into him. Laxus did the same to the others on his side.

"Ohoho did I hit a nerve there Jelly man?"

"Womaniser!" Jellal parried.

"Blueberry!"

"Narcissist!"

Laxus laughed as he punched a barrel about to crack off his head and the splintered wood surrounded him, but he did not flinch.

"Bookworm!"

Jellal fired an array of breathtaking heavenly arrows at a line of speeding barrels.

"You sanctimonious, blonde spiky hedgehog!" Jellal shouted back over the sounds of barrels crashing. He crossed his arms over his head, just as a larger barrel was inches from colliding with them and a criss-cross of heavenly light swiftly cut through the barrel and showered them both in debris.

Laxus nonchalantly brushed a thin plank of wood from his shoulder and began walking up the steps, with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Alright, you win that one. Can't you just insult me like a normal human being without your council intellect seeping through?"

Jellal shrugged and the wood cracked underneath his boots as he followed the dragon slayer up the steps.

"Bored doesn't even cut it right now. I'm this close to trying to shove my fist through this stupid wall I'm that fed up…I'm also close to destroying these damn stairs," grumbled Laxus.

"Where's your sense of adventure Laxus?"

"I think I left it behind oh say- a few _thousand_ steps ago."

"I can use Meteor and quickly nip back and get it for you?" Jellal said devilishly.

"Bastard," Laxus muttered.

An all too familiar crashing noise rang out and the pair looked up to see a single barrel in the distance. They inwardly groaned and continued without reacting. Even Jellal was beginning to grow weary.

"Urghh…I think I'm done. Where's the exit? I've had enough," Laxus stated and he stopped walking and stretched out his back.

"Giving up already? I thought you once wanted to purge the weak? Isn't giving up a sign of weakness Laxus?"

"…." Laxus stared at Jellal unamused.

"Pretentious ass," he grumbled at Jellal who immediately put a hand on his heart.

"You wound me with such cruel words Dreyar."

The barrel was still hurtling towards them but they were paying it no heed.

"You know we need to fight one of these days…I've battled your Edolas counterpart but how will you fair?"

"Such petty violence is beneath me," grinned Jellal in response.

The barrel continued to hurtle towards them.

"Oh? So what happened when you punched Ichiya? Or when you knocked Bacchus out cold? Or did I dream such incidents of _petty violence_?" quipped Laxus and Jellal just decided to just laugh it off. He had already mentally punched Laxus in the face. Twice. Maybe three times.

The barrel was incredibly near and it was far bigger than they initially believed.

It was huge.

Not wasting a moment longer Jellal and Laxus attacked the incoming barrel.

"Lightning Storm!" Laxus cried and placed his hands before him, generating a sphere of electricity, which immediately grew rapidly in size. He fired it just as Jellal unleashed several powerful heavenly blasts from his hands. The barrel instantly exploded upon impact and the pair stood up straighter but were met with a devastating shock, as the barrel was reduced to chunks of wood…and revealed an even larger boulder. It was colossal…it took up the entire breadth of the staircase.

"Jellal!" Laxus shouted and the duo quickly unleashed their power once more…only their attacks were absorbed by the impending boulder rolling towards them and it seemed to increase in size. It continued charging towards them like an omen of death. Their jaws dropped open as they were bested by a mere inanimate object.

"Move!" Laxus cried turning on his heel and sprinting down the staircase Jellal quickly running after him.

"We're not retreating! We're advancing in reverse!" yelled Jellal.

"I couldn't care less right now!" Laxus shouted as the boulder began to steadily close the distance between them.

"We got too arrogant!" Jellal asserted as he pumped his arms back and forth as fast as humanly possible.

"Speak for yourself!"

They were sprinting for their lives back down the infinite staircase.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US OLD MAN!?" Laxus threw back his head and shrieked. He never noticed his coat, he had previously discarded at the start of the trial was just in front of him. Laxus caught his feet on it, and it was like everything went into slow motion for Jellal who looked over his shoulder as Laxus went down.

The lightning dragon slayer hit the steps.

Jellal stopped running.

"Laxuuuus!" He yelled throwing out his arm just as the boulder came rolling down.

"Well… crap," Laxus sighed as the boulder swept him up.

"AAAaaaaaarrrrrgggAaaaaah!"

Jellal cursed under his breath before igniting into Meteor and rocketed away but then he felt his wrist flare, and he tumbled down the steps unable to control Meteor, because of his link with the rolling Laxus. He looked up from the marble floor at the incoming boulder with Laxus' shrieking face appearing and momentarily disappearing as he rolled. Jellal sighed.

"Damn it Laxus."

The boulder rolled over him and flattened Jellal against the rock.

The two mages were screaming as they rolled… and rolled…. and rolled back down the staircase they had worked so hard to ascend.

"Welcome to freakin' Fairy Tail Jellal!" Laxus screamed.

"Our situation is a bit…_rocky _at the moment!" Jellal declared with a grin, as they continued to perpetually roll.

"Oh for goodness-stop with the puns! I swear Fernandes if you-"

"We've been stonewalled!" Jellal burst out and Laxus shrieked in frustration.

"You are a madman!"

All of a sudden the rock broke apart and Jellal and Laxus dropped to the floor finally free, but their bones ached and their prides' were all but destroyed. Neither of them moved or spoke as the weight of their situation finally crashed down on them. How much ground had they lost? How much time had they wasted…

Gildarts stood before them with a large grin plastered across his face.

"You are very welcome boys," he chuckled although he hadn't said anything and they merely groaned in response. Laxus was the first to speak.

"Are your trying to _murder _us?" he seethed but Gildarts did not cease his incessant smiling.

"How much….how much further do we need to climb?" asked Jellal with his face still on the cold, hard floor.

"The entire staircase duh!" Natsu exclaimed and both Laxus and Jellal felt their insides turn cold at the implications of hearing Natsu's voice. Fearing for his sanity, Jellal pried his heavy head from the floor and looked up. The entire guild plus Meredy were staring down at them and grinning.

Jellal and Laxus sweat-dropped.

Gildarts gave Jellal a hand and helped him to his feet.

"So…that was all a joke right?" Jellal deadpanned.

"No! Of course not! All you need to do now is run up the stairs! No more barrels or boulders to stop you!" Makarov smiled and Jellal rubbed his temples.

"Okay…" he replied dolorously while Lucy, Levy and Juvia looked at him sympathetically.

"But…you have to do it while giving a dragon slayer a piggyback!" sang Mavis throwing her arms in the air, her face radiant. "You can't drop them either or leave them behind…or you'll have to start from the beginning! The enchantment will eventually run out so you can reach the top!"

Jellal's heart sank but he had come too far to just give up now, not when he was so close.

Wendy smiled and took a step forward.

Wendy was a dragon slayer and she would be nice and light. He could run up these stairs in no time at all and finally put an end to this madness.

"Wendy would you mind…"

Natsu suddenly tackled Jellal from the side and the pair jerked back over the enchantment line.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrilled as he collided with Jellal and tumbled through the purple wall.

"I'm not missing out again!" Natsu roared with fire dancing in his eyes while he laughed manically.

"Natsu I'm shattered! How am I supposed to carry you!" Jellal groaned but Natsu did not seem at all sympathetic.

"C'mon Jellal! Let's get moving! We need to win this! Didn't you say to Laxus earlier that you would race him?" said Natsu and Jellal face palmed.

"You could all hear everything couldn't you."

"Yup. Now let's beat that spiky blonde hedgehog!" Natsu announced and Jellal cringed at his earlier insult. Natsu quickly climbed onto Jellal's back and pointed ahead.

"Now onward!"

"Natsu…"

"_Onward_!"

Jellal swallowed his already damaged pride and started running while giving Natsu a piggyback. It was official. His day could not get any weirder.

They could hear loud shouts behind them and a raging Laxus appeared at the bottom of the steps with Gajeel on his back.

"Run my stead!" Gajeel jested.

"I'm going to kill you," Laxus said through gritted teeth. "You weigh…a freaking tonne."

"Geehee."

"I'm seriously going to gut you," Laxus intoned but Gajeel pointed at Natsu.

"We're going to defeat you! You hear me Jelly and Salamander?!"

Jellal somehow found the energy to run even faster. Those two lunatics behind them did not make a good pair.

He felt like this was the least he could do for Natsu. It still didn't sit well with Jellal that he was going to get S-Class before him but he could understand Makarov's point.

"Hey Natsu I think we're nearly there! For real this time," said Jellal and Natsu fist bumped the air.

"We've got this Jellal! We're going to win the prize!"

"I don't think there is a prize for clearing it first Natsu," Jellal intoned.

"I get to beat Laxus _and _Gajeel at the same time! Haha!" Natsu laughed and Jellal continued to bolt even though he felt like he might sink into the floor at any given moment. He could use Meteor but Natsu would probably feel ill for the rest of his life.

Almost appearing from nowhere Laxus and Gajeel ran up beside Jellal and Natsu. Gajeel flashed them a wicked toothy grin before his arm formed an iron pillar and he whacked Natsu in the face.

"You idiot!" cried Laxus. "We're in a sensory link!" Laxus toppled backwards just as Jellal fell from the weight of Natsu's head snapping back. They rolled down several steps but Jellal had, had enough rolling for one day. Somehow managing to still keep a hold on Natsu, Jellal leapt back to his feet and sprinted past Laxus and Gajeel, stepping on Laxus' face in the process.

"Sorry! Didn't see you there!" he called over his shoulder but Gajeel quickly grabbed his ankle and Jellal smacked against the marble steps.

"Okay then Gajeel if that's how it's going to be…flame of rebuke!" A golden flame blazed in Jellal's fists and Natsu immediately inhaled the flames. Jellal and Natsu blazed an almighty golden and Natsu punched Gajeel's metal arm that had a vice-like grip on Jellal's ankle.

"Come on Natsu!" Jellal pushed himself to the limit for one final burst of energy. As they zoomed up the stairs, an intense line of blazing golden fire trailed behind them.

"Woooohoooo! Ahahahaha…urrrgh" Natsu suddenly went limp on his back and Jellal yelped. Natsu's cheeks bulged and he turned a shade of putrid green.

"Natsu! I am a human being! I AM NOT A VEHICLE! Pull yourself together!"

"Blarghlaha," Natsu groaned incomprehensibly.

"Please don't throw up Natsu!" Jellal yelled vehemently.

* * *

They finally reached the top of the stairs and Jellal felt like his chest was about to explode. He was bruised and battered but he let out a shaky laugh as he high-fived Natsu, tapped the golden button on the balcony and picked up his S-Class badge. Pink fairy lights instantly lit up all throughout the Fairy Tail garden and Mavis squealed softly.

"Aren't they beautiful? What do you think of the lights? What did you think of my endless staircase?"

"They're lovely…beautiful…your staircase was-" Jellal eyes drooped and he fell forward but Erza swiftly caught him and placed one of his arms on her armoured shoulder. Meredy did the same with his other and the two mages smiled at each other as they brought him inside.

"That was honestly one of the most hilarious things I have ever witnessed," Cana announced.

"_We're not retreating! We're advancing in reverse!" _Gildarts quoted Jellal's line and light-hearted laughs quickly spread throughout the guild.

For now all thoughts of how epic Jellal and Laxus were when tackling the wyvern and facing the maze temporarily faded from everyone's mind. At the moment the memory of them trudging up an endless staircase and bickering like an old married couple, before being bested by a boulder was fresh in everyone's mind.

* * *

Jellal woke up in the guildhall infirmary to find a strawberry cake on his bed. Jellal immediately sat up and dug into the slice of heaven. He noticed Meredy was sitting beside him smiling.

"Alright there _Dreyar_? You're looking a bit _greyer_," Meredy laughed and it was like crystal, transparent and fragile. Jellal didn't want to speak for fear that her laugh would shatter if he interrupted her.

"I didn't realise you were so good with puns," she said and Jellal took another bite of his cake. "Wendy healed up your bruises for you."

"I already owe Wendy my life…and now I owe her again. I'm unbelievably grateful to her because not only did she once save my life, but Erza's as well," Jellal confessed.

Meredy gave him a pointed look. "Why do you always have to bring it back to something gloomy Jellal? I must admit though, you're getting better at it." Meredy pulled her chair across the floor, so that she was closer to Jellal while he finished his cake. "I know about your ordeal with Mercury's Maze… I don't think I could have watched you go through that…I'd much rather watch you laugh and look confused while talking sass to others."

Jellal laughed and Meredy pointed at him. "See! That's what I'm talking about! You have a lovely laugh so please laugh more."

"You too Meredy," Jellal replied softly and Meredy cast her emerald gaze downward.

"I'm sorry when I saw you last if I was a bit…distant. I just…Ultear…the box…her second letter everything was-"

Jellal wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest.

"I'm not going to cry," she mumbled into his chest and Jellal held her tighter.

"Never be ashamed to cry Meredy."

Meredy felt her eyes water but she hastily blinked them away.

"I know. But Ultear would hate it, if I just moped around for the rest of my life. She wouldn't want that."

"No she would not," Jellal echoed letting Meredy go.

"Will you be hanging around for long?" he asked.

"Well a certain dear friend of mine is going to be getting a little title called _S-Class _so you can bet I'll be sticking around for that."

Jellal patted her head and Meredy smiled.

"How are things at Sabertooth?"

"Great, great still no word on Zeref but-"

"Meredy…why don't you and I just have a conversation without…you know Zeref or sadness or atoning."

Meredy looked at him with wide eyes but then a smile stretched across her sweet face.

"Of course! I'd love that. I really would," she sighed and Jellal laughed.

"We're depressing people aren't we?" said Meredy.

"That depends on your definition," Jellal replied gesturing with his spoon. Jellal finally finished his cake and put the plate on the table beside the bed. "So how's Sabertooth?" he tried again.

Meredy launched into a tale about how she and Yukino went on a quest to a secret ball and ended up teaming up with Lyon and Chelia who they bumped into. More recently Sting's hair was temporarily dyed orange when there was a trickster mage in town and Lector pretty much saved the day.

"How's Rogue these days?" Jellal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh he's you know…fine."

"Just fine?"

"Okay he's great. He's really, really great. He's doing amazing like you, only he's not trying to get over the past; he's trying to get over his future which is kind of ironic if you think about it."

"That is not going to be our future," Jellal reminded her quietly.

"Nope. It also helps that I never let Frosche out of my sight!"

Jellal smiled before he got up from the bed.

He stretched his arms and rolled his neck. "Come on, let's go down and see everyone." he said walking towards the door.

"So…how's Erza?" asked Meredy with a smirk and Jellal stopped in the doorway.

"Erza? Erza is…fine."

"Just fine?"

Jellal looked over his shoulder at her for throwing his words right back at him and she laughed at his expression. "Oh so you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

A smile crept out from the corner of Jellal's mouth and he tried to catch it.

"Erza is Erza. Come on let's go see Laxus. Oh and thanks by the way for that lovely sensory link back there."

"Anytime…Jelly."

Jellal stopped abruptly and Meredy walked straight into the back of him. He turned around very, very slowly.

"Okay…let's clear this up. Right. Now. Do not call me that...ever," Jellal said forcefully and Meredy rolled her eyes.

"Okay Blueberry."

Shaking his head in defeat Jellal left the room with a laughing Meredy close on his heels.

* * *

**You guys wanted more Meredy! Your wish was my command. Rogue gets to keep the girl XD He scored higher on my poll and won the girl so sorry Lyon… but Reredy stays. (not that it really makes much of a difference.)**

**The last chapter was sad and dark so I thought we'd go funny. I listened to Lucy and the Power of the Celestial Spirits Ost when I wrote the boulder scene.**

**Is everyone okay with this being the final trial of this arc? At the moment I'm happy with these three trials but do you really want another trial or can we just go straight to the ceremony? I think Laxus and Jellal have performed enough XD ****Leave your thoughts as a review please :) **

**A lot of you might not be able to leave reviews because you've already reviewed CH15 before I edited some things but please just sign in as a guest or leave it on another chapter if that's the case because I really value your thoughts and opinions :)**

***Fairy Tail Salute***

**Next Time: "Heavenly Lightning Trials part 5"**


End file.
